Legend of the Gryphon
by Katie Macpherson
Summary: After suffering unimaginable loss, Ginny falls into Westeros where she quickly realizes that the world is very different from the one she knows. With the help of new friends she begins to thrive...until a lord from across the sea comes looking for something only she can give him. The game is on...and House Gryffindor is now a player. Ginny/Rhaegar
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The war was over….but for Ginny Weasley it meant much more than that.

Voldemort had died but his followers had proven far craftier than any of the Order thought possible.

Antonin Dolohov had taken control of the Death Eaters and he was a man of no small amount of cunning. He had rallied the Dark Lord's follower's mere days after the battle of Hogwarts when the Riddle fell and succeeded in making a push for the Ministry which had just been liberated and was being used as a temporary headquarters for the Order while the Burrow was being repaired after the wedding.

Because the wards were not back to their full strength surrounding the Ministry they had fallen to the Death Eater thugs with very little effort and second battle for power had commenced. Ginny was glad that Lestrange was dead because she still had her husband and his brother to contend with.

They seemed to focus their attention on her and Ginny knew right away when she saw Rudolphus's twisted leer that she was in for the fight of her life. The both of them had set upon her and she was hard pressed to defend. The area they were fighting in, the enormous atrium right by the golden fountain was filled with bright lights and flashes like a fireworks display although no one had time to admire the colors.

Ginny had fought harder than she had at the battle of Hogwarts because she knew that these Death Eaters had nothing to lose anymore and so would try to impress upon the Order that if they were going to go down, they would bring all of Dumbledore's followers with them.

Ginny had barely seen George fall and a cry of rage left her mouth which gave her the strength to try a new spell that Harry had taught her. It was call _sectumsempra_ and he had only used it once before, strictly charging her to use it only at her greatest need.

In the back of her mind, she was sure that the situation she was in indeed qualified as a need.

She'd slashed her wand through the air and watched in a state of almost morbid disconnect at the look of astonishment on his face as a thin red line appeared on his neck, gushing blood in the most gruesome fashion. She'd watched as the head, now disconnected from the neck toppled from atop his body and hit the floor with a gruesome splat.

She looked down at the puddle of blood around her feet and smiled a grim smile. She must have looked like some sort of wild beast indulging in the high of a first kill right then.

That was all the red head had had time for before she was set upon by his brother Rabastan screaming and swearing his vengeance.

This fight was different from the one with Bellatrix's husband in that she felt almost as if her limbs were heavier, her motions slower. His seemed too though and the color washed out of the world making her feel as if they were duelling in an enormous pit of molasses.

They weren't though and Ginny was determined that she wasn't going to die by this bastard's hand or any other.

She had been taught in her fourth year that she in order to cast one of the Unforgivables, she had to mean it, she had to want to see the person she cast it upon suffer.

And with the sudden fall of her mother to Fenrir Greyback, a roaring filled Ginny's ears and a red mist came down upon her vision.

She turned her wand on Rabastan and cruciod him until he was on his knees at her feet choking on his own blood. Ginny stepped on his hand and broke it before giving him a savage kick in the head that rendered him limp and dead.

She then turned the spell on Greyback who appeared to be about to feast on her mother's corpse and sent a blast of the red light at his exposed back. The rabid wolf was flung into the opposite wall of the Ministry with a crack and landed on his stomach, neck rolling to one side clearly broken.

Ginny allowed herself a moment of grim satisfaction before she dashed off to see what more could be done.

It was too late though.

Like dominoes, the rest of the Order were falling to the remaining Death Eaters and the fight was soon back into the Department of Mysteries where a familiar battle for a familiar prophecy had taken place which seemed like a lifetime ago.

Ginny continued casting spell after spell taking down as many Death Eaters as possible, but one by one her family and friends fell around her to the assault.

In time, Ginny was the last one left and she was splattered with blood. She must have looked like a wild animal to them and she could see some of them looking at her warily.

"Fierce as a demon she is," Dolohov purred looking at her greedily. "It would be a shame to have such a beautiful girl killed. And she's a pureblood too even though she's a blood traitor. Seems a shame to have her die. Bring her to me, I want her alive and then she'll know what it's like to have a real pureblood, not a half blood son of a whore."

But Ginny had no intention of letting them take her alive. In fact she had no intention of walking out of that room alive. And so she decided to use a spell that she had found in a book in the restricted section at school the year Harry, Hermione and Ron had been off looking for Horcruxes.

It would be difficult and probably tire her greatly but at this point she had nothing to lose anymore.

And so she hissed out the words to a spell that was so unspeakable that knew she could never let the Dark Lord learn was it was."

 _"Multiplio."_

The spell had an interesting effect for its purpose was strictly intended to kill and to kill many at one time. Ginny felt a searing pain fill her and the sensation was one of being ripped in half.

She managed to glance up in time to see a dozen identical images of her though blurry with a knife in her hand appear at the sides of the Death Eaters in the room and stab each one of them neatly in the ear as far as her knife would go.

Harry had given the neat little blade to her before he left for his journey to complete Dumbledore's final mission. He said she was good enough with her wand to protect herself, but that he would feel better if she had something just in case her wand was taken away.

A wordless cry came from the mouth of every Death Eater as the shadow image of Ginny sent the blade straight into the brains of each Death Eater and watched them fall to the floor.

Then as searing and sudden as the pain had come….it just stopped and the shadow image of a red head beside all those bodies dropped to the floor.

Ginny dropped to her knees along with them, panting and gasping for air.

It had taken a great deal of magical effort to do what she had just done but she couldn't even feel pleased in the strength of her magic for when she looked around she saw the bodies of her friends and family lying amongst the Death Eaters and a pain seized hold of her heart worse than when she had used to spell seconds earlier.

She pressed her fist to her mouth but a muffled sob still slipped out.

 _What in Merlin's name do I do now?_

It was something Ginny didn't want to think about and at the moment she longed to be with her family.

But they were lying dead around her and her mother or father would never embrace her again. George and Fred would never ruffle her hair and tease her and she would never hear Ron complain about the Chudley Cannons losing streak or hear Percy berate Ron for his laziness in school.

She would never have a family again.

They were all gone.

And in that moment it became clear what she needed to do.

Ginny turned behind her and looked at the shimmering silver Veil only a few feet away.

That same Veil had taken Sirius a few years earlier and what's more she was sure it had been a painless death.

 _What is there left for me here?_

Her decision now clear and not taking time to talk herself out of it, Ginny gripped her wand in one hand and her bloody knife in the other before she strode to the Veil, walked through the cold silver light…..and fell.

Ω

When she awakened once more the red head was shocked to discover she wasn't in some type of afterlife with her friends and family waiting to greet her with open arms.

Rather she was in a desert with the sun beating down on her.

Ginny looked around and realized within a few seconds that she was not in England anymore and that she was sitting in a wooden cage on a pile of straw with a great deal of other people all female. They were darker skinned than she was with black hair and brown eyes. They all had the same sad defeated look about them and they were all chained by the neck with steel manacles to keep them from moving too much. The smell was horrid and she fought the urge to gag and forced herself to breathe through her mouth. It was obvious these people had been living in their own filth for god knew how long when she had somehow landed next to them and she swallowed a few times before the urge to gag dissipated though she could still feel the bile rising in her throat.

The wooden cage swayed back and forth a few times as if it were sitting atop something that was moving and Ginny grasped hold of bars to keep from sliding.

She then took a moment carefully to look around her. Though the people crammed in around her were all female, some looked as young as six and were crying softly while the older ones tried to comfort them. There were burns and scabs and bruises and lacerations on many of their backs that looked extremely painful.

So far it seemed as if none of them had noticed her presence though.

The girl sitting next to her looked at her in surprise. She was a pretty girl despite being dressed in rags and had large brown eyes and olive toned skin with long dark hair that fell to her waist. It was matted and greasy from a long time without a wash and her face was gaunt from lack of her food. She was sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees which were pulled up to her chest and trying desperately cover her modesty at the same time.

 _Where the bloody hell am I?_ Ginny thought. She obviously wasn't dead and if this was the afterlife than she had made a sorry mistake walking through the Veil.

"Where are we?" she asked the girl sitting next to her seeing as she seemed more likely to talk than all the rest of the people in the wooden cage.

The other girl's eyes took her in with surprise and Ginny could tell that she hadn't realized she was there. She had probably just appeared next to her in chains. Ginny knew that even with them though she probably looked vastly different than the rest of the people there. Her scarlet hair and blue eyes would immediately mark her as different.

She looked down with distaste and noted that she was dressed in rags as well that were barely covering her.

That was probably the point.

Finally the girl next to her got over her surprise at seeing her and blinked probably thinking she had been dreaming. "We are on our way to Qarth to be sold."

"Sold?" Ginny asked in horror, ice filling her veins in place of blood.

"Yes, we were caught on the way from Astapor but because we're closer to Qarth than there, the slavers are taking us to that city to be sold."

Ginny blinked, her sense of vertigo slipping. "And where is this Qarth….and Astapor?"

The girl looked at her as if she were a simpleton. "In Essos across the Narrow Sea from Westeros."

 _Oh bloody hell._

It became obvious to Ginny that she was in a strange land about to be sold as a slave and that death had not greeted her on the other side of the Veil.

She glanced outside of the wooden cage and felt the movement of a cart underneath them. Looking ahead, she saw a pair of horses pulling them led by people who were dressed in pale pastel tunics and had whips in their hands. It appeared that they were in a long train of wagons pulled by horses across an endless desert of golden sands.

The sun beating down on her made Ginny unbearably thirsty and she looked around frantically for her wand, wincing as the manacle around her neck caught at her skin.

As soon as her hand closed around it and she realized she had been sitting on it, she breathed a sigh of relief and was about to say the words to unclasp the damned thing around her neck when something stopped her.

Even if she got free…..where would she go?

As she looked around all she could see was desert for miles. There were no trees, no lakes or oasis to assuage her thirst.

 _I'm just as dead out there as I would be in here._

Although the thought of being sold as a slave terrified her, she comforted herself with the fact that she wouldn't be one for long because as soon as she was out of this blasted basket and the manacle around her neck was gone she would make a run for it.

"Are….Are you okay?" The girl beside her whispered. "You look distressed."

Ginny laughed grimly. "I suppose I am." She turned to the other girl. "What's your name?"

"This one's name is Missandei," she said quietly. "And you?"

"Ginny," the red head told her. "How did you….I mean how did they capture you?"

Missandei looked down at her hands in shame and Ginny could see thick tears gathering in the girls eyes and she sniffed hard in an effort to keep them from falling. Feeling compassion, Ginny reached and gently took her hand.

The girl gave her an odd look but seemed to appreciate the simple comfort. "My master was Kraznys one of lords of Astapor. He bought me for my looks and…."

She trailed off and Ginny felt bile rise in her throat when she realized that her new friend had been raped and abused by a monster.

"After a year I couldn't stand it any longer and…..and I ran," Missandei sniffed. "I didn't know where I was going to go but I had to get away. But they caught me again and now they're dragging me….all of us to Qarth. Perhaps if the gods smile upon me I might have a nice master."

Ginny wasn't sure about the gods here in this strange place but whatever they were she didn't think they were going to help her and Missandei from a lifetime of slavery.

Her magic would have to do for that.

Already she could feel it sizzling around her, making the air hotter and she took a few deep breaths in an effort to calm herself.

Soon…..very soon she would be free.

"How much longer are we from…Qarth?" she asked frowning at the unfamiliar word.

"Look up ahead," Missandei sniffed drying her eyes with her free hand. "You will see the walls of Qarth approaching."

Sure enough when Ginny looked up, she saw the walls of an enormous city rising to greet her. They were so high that she could not see over the top of them and she could only imagine what was behind them.

Would it be help….or horror?

She swallowed hard and squeezed Missandei's hand again. "Don't worry. I'm make sure we're safe."

The red head could see in the girl's eyes that she didn't believe her, didn't see how she could and Ginny decided she was going to have to show her instead.

All of a sudden the carts jerked to a stop before the gates. Ginny watched as the slaver who had been walking beside her cart stride up to the front to speak to one of the men who was clearly in charge.

After a few moments of heated conversation, Ginny watched the man stride up to stand before the gates and call out in a loud voice in an unfamiliar language.

"What is he saying?" Ginny asked, frustrated that she didn't understand.

"He is calling for the Thirteen of Qarth to open their gates and see the wares that their faithful servants have brought them," Missandei said in a small voice.

Ginny felt her blood boil.

After a few long moments of complete silence there was a harsh grinding sound that made her want to cover her ears if they weren't chained and her eyes widened to see the great gates of Qarth opened.

Ginny craned her neck, trying to see inside and was a relieved when a delightful smell reached her nose, washing away the stink of the cart and the dust and filth of travel. It was the smell of ripe fruit and exotic flowers. Ginny filled her lungs with the smell, glad she no longer had to breathe through her mouth.

Inside the city, she could see palm trees and tall buildings lining the streets that looked as if they were made of bronze and sun toasted golden sandstone. The sky was blue and a warm breeze lifted her long scarlet hair off her shoulders.

 _It must be nice to be a noble in one of those houses,_ Ginny thought enviously. She pitied those who didn't have magic that were going to be sold. She at least could protect herself. They couldn't.

At once the wagons were pulled forward into the city streets and Ginny steadied herself from the rocking. She kept a hold of Missandei's hand, seeing that the girl was frightened.

Ginny was too furious to be scared.

Finally after what seemed like a very long time, the chain of wagons pulled to a stop in front of a wooden platform that appeared as if it had been set up strictly for the purpose of auctioning off slaves. Ginny knew it was on that block that she would be sold.

The slavers came round to the doors of the wooden cages and proceeded to open them, dragging out the slaves on the manacles around their necks, pulling them to the ground and sometimes kicking them when they fell.

Ginny had no sooner been brought out along with Missandei and she gripped her wand tightly when she felt a hand under her chin.

"Well aren't you a pretty thing? How did you wind up in that cage with all those other leeches?"

Ginny looked up into one of the slaver's leering eyes. He was eyeing her with lust and she felt her skin crawl. She knew she looked different from all the dark haired olive toned slaves in the cages and because of her fiery hair and blue eyes and ivory she would stick out like a sore thumb.

She jerked her chin away from him and scowled when she saw his eyes light in amusement. "A feisty thing aren't you? Good. I like my girls tough. Maybe I'll keep you for myself when this is over."

"Don't touch me," Ginny snarled.

His eyes darkened with displeasure. "Insolent little bitch! You'll know your place."

He raised his hand to hit her but before he could one of the other slavers grabbed his arm.

"No bruising the merchandise," he hissed at him and Ginny could see the other man squirm. This one was obviously the leader but they all looked the same to her. "This one will go for a good price. She's far more beautiful than the rest of this lot. You mark her down by hitting her and taking coin from my pocket and I'll mark you down by taking your hand. Is that clear?"

Ginny was amused to see the fear in the other man's eyes. "Yes."

"Good. Now get her and the rest of this lot up on the plank. We have customers waiting."

Ginny was yanked up onto the platform with all the rest of the slaves and felt furious when the wind blew and almost exposed her.

Already a number of people had gathered and while their eyes roamed over the wares in bored disinterestedness, she could see a lot of them were looking at her.

Most of them wore long tunics of very colors and chains of gold around their necks and jewels on their wrists and fingers.

 _What awful place have I fallen into?_ She thought for the one hundredth time.

Missandei held tight to her hand. "You shouldn't have provoked him Ginny. He'll hurt you for it."

Ginny scowled at him. "He's a bastard. I'm not afraid of him."

Missandei's face paled. "You should be. He does terrible things to the women."

 _Not to me he won't,_ Ginny thought fiercely. _And if he tries I'll slit him from balls to brain._

The bidding began at fifty golden dragons which appeared to be the currency of choice in this place.

Ginny watched as golden coins exchanged hands and one by one, slaves were led off the stage and towards their new masters and mistresses. They kept their heads low even as the manacles were removed from their necks.

The bidding continued on and on and she licked her dry cracked lips. Her throat was so parched she couldn't even swallow any more. As the sun beat down on her, she felt her head begin to ache and longed for a glass of water.

"How much for that one? The red head with the blue eyes?"

Ginny snapped her head up when she heard one of the people below calling out about her.

The man who had taken such liberties with her earlier tilted her chin up so the crowd could see her and a murmur of approval went up.

"She's not going for any more than four hundred dragons," he said leering lustfully at her. "Beauty like this doesn't come along every day. She'd be good in the pleasure houses."

There was a murmur of approval from the crowd and with that the bidding for her began.

The haggling over her was fierce and Ginny watched as two men nearly got into fisticuffs over the price of her.

"Now now good sirs, I'm sure you can come to some kind of arrangement. Perhaps you can share her," her jailor said chuckling.

"Five hundred dragons!" someone called out.

"Six hundred!" shouted another.

"Eight hundred!" cried a third.

"Two thousand dragons."

Ginny's head snapped up at the sound of the person who had spoken in shock.

She had heard that voice before.

Everyone else in the crowd was turning around at the sound of the voice as well and Ginny's blue eyes took in the form of a man standing at the back of the crowd watching the proceedings with hard eyes.

He was older and his dark eyes had a harder look to them that she remembered. There was a little grey at his temples and a few more lines around his eyes. He was dressed as richly as everyone else was and his long dark hair was oiled and gleaming. His fingers were bedecked with jewels and there was a rich red ruby hanging at his throat.

In one hand there was what appeared to be a golden cane, but Ginny had a feeling it held his wand so that no one would see it. He had made jokes to her about doing that so he could make fun of Lucius Malfoy before he died.

His eyes were fixed on her and he appeared very angry….though not with her.

She could still see the scar on his neck that had been there since he escaped Azkaban in Harry's third year.

In that instant, relief like she had never felt came upon her like a wave and she almost wanted to cry.

"Sirius!" Ginny whispered in shock.

Ω

 **So you guys seemed to like Winter Phoenix so much I thought I'd try my hand with another Harry Potter/Game of Thrones crossover. I've always had a soft spot for Ginny and since I have no stories out right now about her, I thought I do one featuring her. I hope you like it and don't forget to review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Ginny stared at Sirius as if she had never seen him before and felt her eyes fill with tears to her shame. She blinked hard to keep them away.

His eyes were fixed solidly on her and those dark orbs were livid with rage. He strode forward across the stones and through the crowd who immediately parted to let him pass until he was standing at the foot of the platform and staring up at Ginny. He was older and had a harder look to him than the last time she had seen him, but in the back of her mind she supposed that it made sense that he was here. He had fallen through the Veil just as she had and thus it made sense that they were in the same place.

He looked far angrier than she had ever seen him, more so than when he had learned that Harry had been illegally entered in the Triwizard tournament. The aura and sheer presence he seemed to cast was so imposing that people literally shied away from him as he walked past them. He practically radiated magic and that could either draw people to him or send them away and Ginny had a feeling he was projecting the keep away feeling now.

"Two thousand dragons," he said again and this time those gathered began to murmur amongst themselves about the high price that had been set. Beauty was something that was sought after in the Free Cities but for that price none of the merchants had expected to compete against a lord and so didn't have the coin on them at the time.

Ginny scrunched her eyes shut and prayed that no one else would speak up to contest the offer.

She had wanted to run the moment she had woken up in the wooden cage but looking out at the desert had prompted her to ask herself that if she got out, where on earth would she go? She had no idea about this new country she was in and was just as likely to die as be captured again.

At least by waiting until they were in Qarth she could see the benefits of the city and what it had to offer her before she decided what to do.

Now she was glad she waited because it meant that she had seen a familiar face.

This time Sirius turned and looked at the master with hard eyes who Ginny noticed had begun to squirm beneath his gaze.

"Lord Gryffindor," the man said uneasily. "We were not expecting you to attend today."

"And yet here I am," Sirius said menacingly. "Are there no more takers for this young woman?"

The master looked warily out into the crowd as if searching for anyone else who would come to rescue him.

For some reason no one else spoke up and Ginny could see that many were eying Sirius with a great deal of fear.

 _Just what has he been up to here that would inspire all this?_

"Very well then," he said. "Your lordship has always had an eye for beauty. Nothing but the best for your lordship." He went to remove the manacles from Ginny's wrists and neck while Sirius reached inside his tunic and brought forth a sack of coins that jingled.

Ginny took that moment and seized the attention.

"If you buy me you have to buy her too," she said seizing Missandei's hand and dragging her forward. The girl looked terrified, but Ginny was determined she wasn't going to leave her here at the mercy of the masters.

The darker slave looked at her as if she had lost her mind but Ginny paid her no heed. Sirius looked at her for a long moment as if trying to read her as he had done all those years ago but then he nodded. "Very well, her too."

Missandei gripped Ginny's hand as if her life depended on it and Ginny squeezed it back. The master grumbled but removed her manacles as well.

Both girls quickly descended the stairs and hurried towards their new master. Only when they got close did Sirius lock eyes with Ginny and she saw his hard expression begin to soften.

The moment she was standing next to him, he placed a hand on her shoulder before sending a hard look that seemed to say he would make the man pay for what he had done at the master who squirmed once more before leading the two trembling women off down the street.

The moment they were out of sight down a side alley, Ginny dropped the stoic act along with Missandei's hand and threw her arms around Sirius's neck. He wrapped his arms around her too and hugged her back just as fiercely. Ginny was too overwhelmed and speechless with relief to know what to say. She had never been so glad to see anyone in her entire life and the shock of what had just happened and that she had nearly been sold as a slave was starting to catch up to her making her tremble.

"Sirius, thank Merlin," she whispered.

"Are you alright?" Sirius whispered into her hair. She had always seen him as a treasured uncle figure since he had meant so much to Harry before he had died and his death had devastated Harry. His embrace was so comforting as if she had been taken to a sanctuary again and she would now be safe.

"I am now," she whispered back.

After a long moment, she pulled back and gave him a watery smile. "I'm so glad to see you."

He grinned at her, the same grin she remembered him having back when they had been in England. "I'm glad to see you too little one."

But then he turned serious. "What are you doing here? How did you get here would be a good question as well?"

Ginny scrubbed her eyes roughly. "Why don't we get to a safe place and I'll tell you everything?"

She turned to poor Missandei who was looking very confused and took her hand again. "And I think we need to get cleaned up first."

Ω

It turned out Sirius had done very well for himself in the Free Cities. His story was very similar to hers as well and short enough.

He had landed in the middle of the slave trade and had been forced to rely on his magic to free himself and thus had used his considerable talents and intelligence to carve out a life for himself in this harsh land.

As a result of his work he was the wealthiest lord in Qarth one of the most beautiful cities in Essos and someone to be feared if the way he had intimidated the slave master was any indication.

He had taken the title of Lord Gryffindor for himself as a way to honor his former house at Hogwarts, only to find out that it was an old Valyrian name and lived on an estate right by the sea in Qarth. It was a large one and heavily guarded if the way the armored men patrolling up and down the streets in front of it were any indication.

She gripped tightly to Missandei's hand noting the girl's trembling. "It's going to be alright. Sirius won't let anyone harm us."

"How do you know Lord Gryffindor?" the slave girl asked.

"It's a long story," Sirius said quietly as he walked beside them. "I'll explain everything when we get inside."

Sirius's estate was enormous. Ginny could hear the waves of the ocean behind it and she gave a sigh of relief at the peace she felt. Her wand was still gripped in her hand and she loosened her grip on it slightly, reminding herself that she wasn't about to go into battle.

The walls around it were high, but she could still see the tall trees of an enormous garden behind them. The sweet scent of fruit and flowers wafted over the walls towards her and unconsciously her stomach growled as if she hadn't eaten for days.

The walls of the estate itself were white and bronze and it seemed to be three stories high. She could see some of the windows had been left open to let the light and the warm breeze in but that was all she could see.

Sirius led them towards the main wrought iron gates and the guards nodded at him and looked curiously at them as they passed.

Sirius tapped the bars of the gate with his cane and Ginny blinked when she saw a flash of gold envelop the bars before disappearing and she realized that Sirius had set up many wards around the property. It made sense why he had done so. This place was filled with more greedy people than she had seen in England so it made sense that he would be protected by more than just physical means.

She noticed most of the guards had averted their eyes when he had done with the gates and with barely a sound, the metal doors swung open to reveal to Ginny an oasis of beautiful pools plants and flowers.

Inside the walls and outside of the house itself was a maze of gardens with small in ground pools containing lily pads and exotic fish every few feet. There were numerous fruit and exotic trees dotting every few yards as well along with flowering bushes and shrubs that looked as if they were about to over flow with blooms.

The gardens seemed to circle the house entirely and Ginny absently wondered what was at the back of it before Sirius shut the gates behind them and turned to the both of them.

"I will have the servants draw up baths for the both of you," he said and Missandei looked as if she were about to cry from relief.

"After that," Sirius said looking severely at Ginny, "I want you to come outside to the back of the house where you will find the terrace overlooking the ocean. We need to talk."

Ω

If Ginny had thought the outside of Sirius's house was stunning it was nothing compared to the inside.

The moment the doors of the place were opened, she caught the sea breeze from all the open windows and she took a deep breath of the salty air, feeling relaxed at once.

"Mera, Jaena?" Sirius called and immediately two servant girls in modest linen robes appeared in front of them. They bowed when they saw him and he smiled at them.

"Please show our guests to the rooms upstairs and have baths prepared for them, they are going to be staying with me."

Without a word they both nodded and Sirius gave Ginny an encouraging smile as she was looking at the girls distrustfully.

"It's alright Ginny, follow them. They'll show you where to go."

With some reluctance, the beautiful red head followed the two servants up the stairs that was marble and circling all the way up to the third floor.

"This way please my lady," Mera said cheerfully when they had reached the landing of the third floor and Ginny saw that all the room on the hall were on the right side of the hall so that they would be closest to the sea and face the sun. The floors were marble and tall plants and pots lined the wall every few feet the leaves of them drifting back and forth gently in the breeze.

Missandei had finally let go of her hand as they entered the house and looked a little more relaxed.

"Will everything be alright now?" she asked.

"Yes," Ginny whispered back. "I know Sirius. He's an old friend."

She decided she wouldn't explain further as it would just be confusing to Missandei. It was obvious she was living a second life and that would be too odd to explain right now.

They reached a set of adjoining rooms and Mera opened the door on the right, gesturing for Missandei to go inside which she did reluctantly. Jaena opened the door on the left for Ginny to enter and when she did, she almost gasped.

The room had pale blue tiled flooring and a large bed on the right side covered over with silk curtains. In the center of the room there was an in ground pool which looked to be already bubbling and steaming with hot water.

Directly across from the door, there was a large balcony that opened to the sea and the curtains attached to the doors were blowing gently in the breeze.

While Jaena walked over to the bath and began to pour some type of lavender colored liquid into it, Ginny wandered as if in a daze out onto the balcony and was immediately blinded by the hot sunlight.

She squinted for a moment as her eyes adjusted and then looked around in astonishment. The azure blue ocean was directly below her and she could hear it crashing against the rocks beneath Sirius's estate.

There was not a cloud in the sky and the sun above her was a great big ball of fire. She closed her eyes for a second basking in its warmth and contemplated how the bloody hell she had gotten to this new strange land and what on earth she was going to do now.

She was beyond relieved that she had found Sirius so perhaps this would not be so bad but there was a lump in her throat as she considered the fact that she would never go home. She had chosen to walk through the Veil and now she had a new life to live, away from England, away from magic and everyone she had ever known and loved.

 _You still have your magic,_ she thought to herself as she glanced down at the wand gripped tightly in her hand. _And Sirius is here. Things could have been a lot worse. You could have been stumbling around in that desert without money and a home and water and food. Count your blessings….isn't that what your mother always told you?_

Of course thinking about her mother caused Ginny's eyes to smart with tears and she blinked them harshly away. It would do not good to think on the past now that she was here and had been given a second chance at a new life.

"My lady?" Jaena called. "Your bath is ready."

Not realizing how tired she was, Ginny walked back into the room and wearily thanked the servant who nodded and left her alone.

Only when the door was shut did Ginny tear off the rags she had been wearing and step hesitantly into the bath. The water was warm and after putting her foot down on the step beneath the water, she sighed slightly and sunk all the way in up to her shoulders and neck. Her hair which had been tied with a scrap of rag she pulled loose and let sink down in the warm water as she tilted her hair back.

The feeling that came over her then at the comfort and relaxation was one of complete euphoria and satisfaction. At once her worries and fears and doubts slipped away as she lay there in the bath and allowed the steaming water to cover her.

She forgot for a moment about Harry and her family and all her friends from school and Hogwarts itself. She even forgot about the Dark Lord even though he would never harm her ever again.

She ran her hands through her wet scarlet hair and closed her eyes again. She felt tears prick the corners of her eyes and she blinked hard so they wouldn't run down her face.

They were gone.

They were all gone.

And she was here having no clue really where here, she only knew that she wasn't in England anymore, perhaps she wasn't even in the world she knew anymore.

She had seen men in armor with swords at their waist and women in dresses that looked as if they had walked out of the pages of a history book. There was no form of technology that she knew of so it appeared that everyone in this new world were Muggles.

Essos…..that was where Missandei had said she was…..across the Narrow Sea from a place called Westeros.

She was really in for it this time.

Ginny spent at least twenty minutes in the bath just enjoying the water and allowing herself time to grieve where no one could see her.

She wasn't someone who cried a lot. She hadn't cried when Harry left her to go on his mission from Dumbledore because she knew why he was leaving. She hadn't cried when she was tortured by the Carrows for insubordination in that year from hell. She hadn't even cried when Fred died because she was too numb.

But knowing they were all gone…..Harry, Hermione, Fred, George, Ron, Mum, Dad, Charlie, Percy, Bill and all of her friends, Hogwarts and her teachers, Luna…..they were gone and she would never see them again.

Just knowing that made her want to sink down in the bath and never get up again because she didn't think she had the strength to. She was the last of the Weasleys but even her name didn't mean anything because the Weasley name didn't exist in….Qarth.

After about half an hour she began to realize she had been in the bath long enough and was going to turn as wrinkled as a prune if she stayed there any longer. She closed her eyes and forced herself to her feet taking the white cloth from beside the bath that Jaena had left for her and drying herself thoroughly, squeezing the water from her hair.

Turning around to see if she could look in the wardrobe and find something to wear, she was faced with over a dozen dresses that were silky and showed more skin than she thought appropriate for a dress.

Selecting a red one, she hesitantly pulled it out and looked at it. It had a plunging neckline and small cut-outs at the waist but thankfully it went down to her feet.

 _I'll look like some high priced whore in this,_ she thought to herself. _Do all the women in this city dress like this?_

Granted it was more than what she had been wearing when she came into the city but still.

It took her some time to work up the daring to put it on and when she did and looked in the mirror, she was a little surprised to see how well it suited her.

 _Great, good to know I've always had a whore like inclination beneath the school uniform,_ she thought sarcastically to herself.

There were no shoes on the floor so she assumed that when you were in your own home in this place you were always barefoot.

Cautiously she opened the door of her new room and looked up and down the hall for one of the maids to tell her where the terrace was. She didn't see anyone and so decided to try and find her own way.

Quietly she scurried down the hallway and down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she felt a breeze lifting her still damp hair off of her shoulders and turned towards the right.

Behind the staircase she could see a long marble hallway that led to a set of doors opening out onto a large marble patio where one could overlook the ocean.

At the edge of the patio as close to the ledge of the drop off as possible there was a large gazebo like structure that one could sit under to keep the sun off of one's shoulders.

The pillars around it were wrapped with ivy and garlands. There was a table underneath the awning with four chairs around it and Ginny could see Sirius in one of them overlooking the ocean.

She breathed a quiet sigh of relief and hurried in that direction, down the hall, out the doors and into the sun which had felt oppressive before but now felt wonderful against her skin.

She crossed the patio and at the sound of her steps on the stones, Sirius turned around and saw her before getting up.

The hard look in his eyes faded away and he held out his arms, allowing Ginny to walk into them.

She buried her face in his chest and tried not to cry because she had done far too much of it upstairs and instead gripped the sleeves of his tunic for dear life.

She could feel one of his hand on her hair and the other rubbing her back gently as he tried to comfort her. "It's alright little one….it's alright now."

But it wasn't alright and she lifted her face from his chest to tell him so. "I don't think it ever will be. They're all dead….all of them."

His dark eyes turned sorrowful and he held her tighter. "Even Harry?"

"I don't know, but he didn't finish the fight with us," she whispered. "I don't remember seeing him fall. But they're lost to us now. I just remember all the bodies and thinking I didn't have anything to live for anymore…..they were all dead. So I got up and I walked through the Veil."

Sirius nodded. "That's how I ended up here years ago. The Veil it seems is a bridge between different worlds. I don't know how many but when I came to I was sitting in a wooden cage much like the one you were in."

"Sirius what happened to you?" Ginny whispered. "If you came here first as a slave years ago how did you become so…..wealthy?"

Sirius gave her a sad smile. "Come sit down and I'll tell you everything. I've had the servants bring out some food for you. I'm sure you must be starving."

She was, in fact Ginny was a little embarrassed to hear her stomach growling as he led her towards the table. The table already had a selection of fruits, cheeses and breads she had never seen before.

"Where's Missandei?" she asked and Sirius gave her a slight smile. "She's being shown around the house, don't worry."

Sirius let her eat for a moment before he started in on his story. "I was sold to a group called the Second Sons. They're basically mercenaries in this land that fight for gold and there are enough of them that they can be hired to defend cities from invaders. We were essentially a sell sword company who fought for gold. Our banner was a broken sword and we took commands only from our captain."

"Sirius that sounds awful," Ginny said softly.

"It was at first, but that's where my magic came in handy because I became known as the Serpent. I was able to kill people that my commanders couldn't and thus I was given more and more important jobs. My abilities as an Animagus came in handy with that."

Ginny could feel the horror on her face because she couldn't imagine Sirius killing people for money. _What kind of savage world is this?_

He must have seen her expression for he gave her a sad smile. "I was a different person back then Ginny. I was angry and filled with so much hate at the life that had been stolen from me that I couldn't be able to take care of Harry that I didn't care what I did. The commanders were impressed with me because I did whatever they asked me to no questions asked. It was only when they asked me to kill a child did I realize what I'd become and I left."

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn't lost himself into that world completely because she knew a bit of what it was like. Killing someone…it changed you. She had killed enough in the war to know a bit of what it was like and even though they had been Death Eaters, she still felt haunted that there was blood on her hands.

"I wandered for a time," Sirius went on. "I had enough gold from the Second Sons to buy a small ship and purchase the help of sailors. I became invested in trading and made a name for myself as a merchant. One of the places we went into was the Smoking Sea, a place said to be demon haunted."

Ginny scoffed and he smiled. "I didn't believe in any of it and I had made good coin from my other journeys so I decided to go. The treasures we found there…..were unlike anything I had ever seen before and we took back as much as we could carry. I had enough to last me several lifetimes with all that I had found and so I had this villa built for myself and I've been living here in Qarth ever since. The odd time I make a journey back into the Smoking Sea and return with strange and remarkable things, gems that haven't been seen since Old Valyria and thus I became one of the richest man in Qarth. I took the name Lord Gryffindor for myself to honor my old life and found out that it was an old Valyrian name with connotations to the ancient animals that had lived there not just dragons."

Ginny's head was spinning from all that he had told her and she felt as if she were about to burst with questions.

"I still am not entirely clear where this…..Qarth is in relation to the rest of the world," she began and Sirius shook his head.

"We're not in the world we know anymore Ginny. This world is far harsher than England and far more unforgiving. I know it's confusing but we're out of the world we know entirely. Here there are monsters."

"There were many in the world we lived in too," the red head countered and Sirius smiled sadly.

"I know, but they seem to be far more vicious here."

"I don't even know what to do now," Ginny said softly looking out over the ocean. It was a beautiful sight and one that she found very calming. "My whole life has been taken away from me. I don't know where to start."

"That's easy," Sirius said gently. "You start here, with me. It's gotten rather lonely living in a place with only servants and having a familiar face would do wonders. Plus it will be very easy to create a story as to why you're here without there being any…..scandals."

"Scandals?" Ginny asked in confusion. "Why would there be any – "

She cut off when she remembered the slave traders commenting on her looks and remembering the respect and fear they had addressed Sirius with, and she felt her face pale with horror.

"They don't think you would have bought me for – "

Sirius raised a hand cutting her off. "If we spin a tale quickly about who you are than others will keep quiet. We will say you are my daughter and I have not seen you since you were a little girl when I left your mother in Volantis when I was still trading. You had been on your way to Qarth to find me when you were captured by the slave traders. It was only due to good luck that I found you."

Ginny grumbled. "I don't even know why you should feel you need to spin a story in the first place. People should mind their own business."

Sirius chuckled. "They should but that's not the way it works doesn't it. Reputation means a lot here and many of the people here will treat you better if they think you are my blood."

Ginny bit her lip but nodded grudgingly. "Very well then. I will be your daughter from this moment on."

Sirius grinned wolfishly, a smile she remembered from when they had been back in England and staying at Grimmauld Place. For a moment she was able to pretend they were sitting in the backyard of that place and not in an unknown foreign country.

But then the moment passed and the sorrow washed over her again.

Things would never be the same again.

Never.

Ω

Sirius had led Ginny to the library after she had eaten her fill of the food let her look at all the books he had amassed over the years since he had first begun living here. He also told her that time in Essos worked differently than time in England. He had estimated that he had been there for around ten years and she was having a hard time wrapping her head around the notion that it was likely she had been gone in England for a few days.

She asked him why, but he had shrugged his shoulders saying he honestly didn't know.

At the end of the day she supposed it didn't really matter. She was here and the world she knew of was gone.

Missandei had happily agreed to serve Sirius even after he had set her free because she had nowhere else to go and there was no way she would be treated as nicely by anyone else. She seemed overwhelmed that Sirius intended to see to it that she was paid for her work.

At least her friend was being given a new life she was happy about.

For her part, Ginny just felt…..hollow.

She was relieved beyond words that she had found Sirius and that she would be safe with him, but the cost had been so high, far too high for her to pay.

To not lose herself in memories, Ginny threw herself into reading up on this new world she had entered. Sirius seemed to have an insatiable thirst for knowledge and so had collected every book he could get his hands on wherever he went.

As a result of his hard work, he now spoke high Valyrian and a bit of Dothraki which as a harsh and guttural language very difficult for the mouth to master.

And Ginny was no slouch. Her grades were not as high as Hermione's when she had been in school but they were high enough to ensure that she was noticed by the teachers and that she had had very good O. .

So after berating herself thoroughly for not being thankful at this new chance she had been given with someone she knew and cared for as family when she had been back in England, Ginny decided she was going to choose to pull herself from this depression she was in no matter how long it took and she would devote herself to learning about her new life with Sirius as her adoptive father.

She would honor the memory of her parents and her friends and Harry by living each day for them. In time she knew it would get easier and she would hurt less and less but she wasn't there yet.

Instead, she chose to distract herself and in the coming days she would even venture outside the of the high walls of the villa with Sirius by her side to see the city of Qarth as she hadn't when she first came in.

Life would begin to have meaning again and Ginny couldn't wait for the day when she woke from her bed and didn't feel the pain as if it were a wave crashing over her.

But in the meantime she would not lie about wasting the new life she had been given.

Second chances didn't come by very often and she as determined that she would face this new challenge head on.

She would honor her parents no matter how hard it was to let them go.

In the years to come, she would begin to be happy again and the beginning of those glad days would come from across the Narrow Sea.

Ω

 **So Ginny will be living with Sirius in Qarth for the time being as his daughter. Don't worry the story will start to pick up soon as Ginny learns more about the new land she lives in and of course the one from across the Narrow Sea. ;) Don't forget to review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yes my loyal followers I have changed the title of this story because I felt this new one worked far better. There will be some interesting developments in this chapter so don't forget to review and enjoy!**

Chapter 3

During the next few months that Ginny spent with Sirius, she learned a great deal about her new home.

Qarth was an extremely wealthy city run by a number of dignitaries known as the Thirteen, they had command of the trade, the soldiers the spices, and the slaves all of whom went through Quarth's ports and across the sands to the other free cities of Essos.

Though Sirius did not sit on the council with them, he was often called upon for advice and favors from many of them.

Being a smart man, Sirius was able to gain the trust of all of them even though he loathed every single one for their greed and cold pragmatism. He had once been a slave and a Second Son after all.

He was a business man and had learned a great deal in the ten years since he had fallen into Westeros. He had his own fleet of ships in the Qarth port and these vessels traveled back and forth across the free cities selling food, goods and slaves.

Ginny was outraged when she heard this but slightly pacified when she heard her new father's reasons.

"I detest the slave trade far more than you do Ginny," he said to her one evening while they were taking their meal on the terrace overlooking the ocean. "Yet we can't deny that this is the world we live in now. But don't worry, I plan to end Quarth's investment in slaves soon enough."

Ginny frowned at him. "What are earth are you talking about Father?"

She had had to become used to calling him father in the presence of the servants because she know that for the plan to seem believable they had to commit to it. No one in power couldn't believe that she wasn't Sirius's daughter. It had been hard at first because even though she saw him in the role of treasured Uncle, he wasn't her father and Arthur Weasley was dead. Still, she was grateful to have him in her life and if calling him father was the only price she had to pay, than she would gladly do it.

He had already called for the heads of those men who had brought her here to Qarth for daring to lay hands on his daughter when she had been on her way to see him.

Dressed in the finery of Qarth, no one could dispute that Ginny looked like nobility and with her flame red hair and sapphire eyes snapping at the slavers she had looked every inch the daughter of one of the most powerful lords in the city.

"I mean that Qarth and the rest of the free cities, Lys, Mereen Myr, Astapor, Yunkai, Braavos, Volantis, all of them have one thing in common and that is slaves. All of them are also ridiculously wealthy and would still be ten times over without this vile trafficking in men's flesh. There are no need for slaves in this land…..and I intend to bring about the end of it."

He said these last words while taking a sip of the wine that had been poured for him by Missandei whom he smiled absently at. The former slave and now servant had become a good friend to Ginny in the last few months that she had been in Qarth with Sirius.

Ginny had been desperate for someone to confide in after the death of her parents and though she had had to spin the story for Missandei about Sirius being her father, she had a feeling the girl knew there was more to it than a story of a girl being captured along the road to Qarth, she had been with her in the wooden cage after all.

In the meantime, she had thrown herself into reading up on the world she lived in so that she might forget her old one and adjust better to the new. She had learned all about the First Men and the Andals who had invaded the country across the sea and about Old Valyria and the many legends that came along with it. She also learned of Aegon the Conqueror and his connections to Westeros and about the Targaryen dynasty, something that was still being carried on across the Narrow Sea in Westeros.

It seemed that Sirius had connections there as well as a well-traveled merchant had brought him to the ports of King's Landing, White Harbor and Dorne on many occasions in the past.

Ginny was rather impressed at how well her pseudo father had done for himself and she was even more impressed with the fact that he had managed to keep up with his magic as well.

"You should learn how to practice wandlessly Ginny," he had told her earlier. "If something happens to your wand here there is no way of getting a replacement. If you can practice without one there is no way someone will be able to take that away from you."

It seemed reasonable to her and so she had begun trying to cast spells without her wand. It was very difficult and she expended a lot of energy as her magic didn't have something to align with so she had to control it through sheer force of will.

It had been getting a bit easier these past few days though and Ginny had been finally able to cast the levitation charm and hold it for a few seconds before she had released it panting for breath.

But it was a victory and one she intended to capitalize on.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Ginny asked sipping from her own goblet. It had been odd to her to see people sipping wine here as frequently as she had sipped pumpkin juice back in England but after a month or so she had become used to it.

She had now been in Qarth for two months and every day the pain slowly became less and less. She would still miss her family with all of her heart and part of her would never be the same again, but she knew they would want her to live.

So she did.

"If I am the most powerful man in Qarth, I would be the one to rule this city," Sirius continued. "Thirteen or no."

She was surprised to hear him speak so frankly about power seeing as how it had never been something that he wanted when they were in England. But when she had questioned him about it he told her somewhat sadly that the only way to live in this new world is if you desired power and after having spent so much of his old life and ten years of his new being powerless, it was never something he wanted to repeat.

"I suppose my desire for power is a bit lacking," she said somewhat stiffly and Sirius gave her a soft smile.

"It's not a bad thing to want power if you want it for the right reasons. I want power so I can show Qarth and perhaps even the free cities that they don't need to rely on slaves for export and import. I want to be able to use both power and magic to create something that won't be destroyed like my old life was."

"Father, that's a noble sentiment but do you think you can pull it off? I hate the slave trade as much as you do but I know its not something that's going to be gone overnight. There are a lot of cruel people in this world, people who want to keep their power and use it for all the wrong reasons."

"I know," Sirius replied sadly. "But we must at least try. I don't want to be a prisoner or helpless ever again and more people will if those who have the ability to help don't do anything."

Ginny was reminded of something that her mother had told her long ago when she had been enraged at the bullying she had seen of a student at school and how no one around had done anything just because they were a Slytherin.

 _The only thing necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing._

It was a statement she had never forgotten and neither apparently had Sirius.

She reached out and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Whatever you want to do, I'm going to help you."

He smiled at her. "Thank you daughter."

"In the meantime however," she began. "Do you think you could tell me another story? One about your journeys in the Smoking Sea?"

The smile on his face turned even more genuine and he began to tell her of the night a furious storm had rose up before their ship and they had been forced to flee before it for four days and nights before a great sea dragon had appeared before the ship and nearly sunk it.

Ginny looked at the man who had been her treasured uncle in England and who was now her father here and felt a soft smile touch her lips.

She wasn't alone in the world anymore and she was more thankful than ever that Sirius was here to help her and protect her. She knew how to survive on her own, but she didn't want to have to.

Her mind wandered to the events of the day that was coming. Sirius had been called for a meeting with the Thirteen and they had asked him to bring his daughter along so they could meet her.

The whole city had been buzzing about the arrival of Lord Gryffindor's daughter Ginevra from Volantis. There had been rumors abounding at first but when Sirius had calmly spun the story of her being taken prisoner by slavers on her way to Qarth to live with him and how they had slaughtered her whole retinue, everyone had become very sympathetic.

It amazed Ginny how much of an act people put on so Sirius would notice them. There was one man in Qarth by the name of Xaro Xar'oan who liked to claim he had the patent on the wealthiest individual in the city. Because Sirius didn't care of posturing he let the man say what he wished but Ginny wished they hadn't run into him the in the market the other day.

Xaro had greeted them courteously but his eyes had been fixed on Ginny who had remembered to maintain a hold of Sirius's arm when they were in public. His eyes had all but sparkled with greed and Ginny had been repulsed. It was obvious that this man had come from nothing like Sirius but she wondered how much he had done to earn the wealth he claimed to have.

She had played the part of dutiful daughter as Sirius introduced them but kept a hold on his arm so that no one would question her place with him.

They had been accompanied by Sirius's guards, men in black armor with ever present twin swords strapped across their backs and though Ginny knew they really weren't necessary given the powers she and Sirius possessed, it was necessary to keep up appearances so that people didn't think them easy targets and they were forced to reveal what they truly were.

 _For the first time, I begin to realize what it must have been like for Harry living in the Muggle world for so long. He had to hide his extraordinary gifts in order to fit in just like we're doing now._

The markets of Qarth were certainly a spectacle to behold and the only thing Ginny could really compare it to was when she and her family had gone to Egypt before the start of her first year and she had seen one of the outdoor markets in Cairo.

They were loud and colorful with people shouting out their wares back and forth just as she was seeing in Qarth here.

It was a beautiful city but the only thing that tempered her like of it were the slaves she had seen parading past with their masters.

 _Sirius is right,_ she had thought grimly as yet another one passed them by. _This abominable practice needs to end._

"Are you alright Ginny? You look as if you're a million miles away."

Ginny blinked and glanced at her adoptive father who was giving her a cheeky smile. "Yes. I was just thinking about what you said about the slaves. I can't help thinking you're right. It's not as if anyone here owns house elves and their magic is tied to their host family, I could make an exception then. These are real people that are being bought and sold. We need to do something."

Sirius smiled at her and took her hand. "And we will dear girl. The only problem is that we need to have more power than we currently have. I refuse to Confund every member in government in this city to do my bidding. I would be no better than Riddle if I did that."

"I'm not suggesting you use the Imperious curse at all," Ginny went on. "I'm saying that if you want to end the slave trade permanently and not just in Qarth because the city could easily be pressured by the others into taking it up again, than you need to broaden your scope."

Sirius gestured for her to continue.

"Every one of the major cities in Essos from Qarth to Pentos is dependent upon slaves. If you want to end it permanently than you'd have to be the king of this continent."

She had meant the statement in jest but when Sirius didn't say anything and she the ambitious gleam in his eye, she sat forward. "You can't be serious."

"Why not?" Sirius asked and he almost sounded far away as if he were thinking very deeply on something. "Why couldn't I?"

"Because….because…because it's impossible!" Ginny sputtered. "You're talking about taking over an entire continent! Do you know the amount of power you would have to have in order to accomplish something like that? You would need an army of over one hundred thousand strong perhaps even a million and that's not to mention how you would connect this entire empire were such a feat even possible. You would need servants and advisors and armies as well roads between each city in order to make them passable. Sirius the amount of work and sweat and blood and sheer luck that it would take to – "

She cut off when she saw the grim expression on his face. "What is it?"

"Ginny I spent the first ten years of my life here as a slave and it was only by sheer work that I got to where I am. You only got a taste of what a slave's life is like. It is beyond appalling what they do to people in this land. I sometimes still have nightmares about what it was I went through and if they're not about this place than they're dreams about Azkaban and what I endured there."

He sat forward and took one of her hands in his. "My point is, my magic was one of the reasons I am where I am. And if I have the power to do that, I have a responsibility to do whatever I can to right the evils I see in this world. I couldn't do it in England, but here I can."

Ginny looked at her adoptive father for a long time. She could see the deadly seriousness on his face and how much he believed in what he wanted to do.

It was obvious he had suffered here and he didn't want others to have to go through the same fate. He hadn't been in control of his life in England when he had been locked up in Grimmauld Place accused of a crime he didn't commit and how it had weighed on him that he wasn't there to protect his god son.

"I just want to be sure that you're not doing this out of guilt for what you couldn't do in your old life," she said gently.

Sirius squeezed her hand. "Thank you sweet girl. But I've made peace with Sirius Black of House Black. His memory is dead and gone and Sirius Gryffindor has taken his place. I'm not the same person I was. I want to do some good for this world. We have the power to do so, why shouldn't we?"

Ginny couldn't really think of a reason to refute what he had said and so after thinking about it for a good long while she nodded. "My mother did always tell me that the only thing necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing. I suppose this can be applied to what she meant."

Sirius laughed. "I remember Molly telling me that on a number of occasions. She was a wise woman your mother. And right quick with a pot spoon as well."

For a moment they laughed as the shared the memory of Molly Weasley and her infamous pot spoon which she had often used to wack the backs of anyone's heads to get them out of the kitchen while she was cooking. She had been a force to be reckoned with.

"I miss her," Ginny said softly and blinked hard at the familiar tears pricking at her eyes.

Sirius gave her a soft look. "I know sweet girl, I do too. I miss them all."

Ginny took a few silent breaths to calm herself. She didn't want to think about her family right now even though the pain was still like there like a lancing wound that had yet to heal.

"As I was saying," she said after a moment where the only sound had been those of the waves of the Jade Sea crashing on the shore. "If you want to conquer an empire than we're going to need power that frightens people and not just armies. We need something that no one else has or has the opportunity to get because that would be useless then."

A wolfish grin had come over Sirius's face once again stopping his adoptive daughter from speaking. "What is it?"

"I have just the thing Ginny," he said. "Follow me.

Ω

Ginny was a little surprised when Sirius led her back into the house and into the large library where she spent most of her time acquainting herself with the new world she lived in. It had a rich history from all that she had learned in the past two months and though it was a world built on violence in which only the strong survived she was beginning to become more accustomed to living there.

The library was a circular room that was three floors high with a skylight at the very top so as to let the light of the sun shine in. Because it was dark out now, the candles were lit and Sirius had charmed them so they wouldn't fall over and thus ruin the library and the house he had acquired.

Sirius led her to one of the book shelves and began pushing the books on the lowest shelf to one side.

"Sirius what on earth are you doing?" the red head asked as he seemed almost excited about what he wanted to show her.

"One moment my dear," he said. "I'll show you everything. "I just need to find – I've got it!"

There was a deep clicking sound and Sirius scrambled to his feet. Ginny was shocked to see the bookshelf roll back as if it were on some sort of mechanical contraption to reveal a large locked door behind it. It was enormous and as tall as two of her. There was only a single handle on it and it was completely black.

"Sirius what is this?" she whispered.

Sirius didn't answer and instead placed both hands upon the door and began to murmur quickly.

Ginny didn't catch what he was saying as he was speaking so fast but it didn't sound like any spell she knew.

When it seemed he had reached the end of his spell the door itself seemed to shudder and then a ring of gold seemed to emanate out from the handle itself until it covered the entire door and then disappeared.

Sirius smiled, appearing satisfied and took hold of the door handle. "Come along my dear. I have a lot to show you. It wasn't just gold and jewels that I brought back from the Smoking Sea."

With those vague words, he pulled the door open and she followed him into complete blackness.

Sirius, despite being proficient in wandless magic still carried is wand with him and lit up the tip of it with a familiar spell.

Ginny did the same with her own and thus saw a series of stairs leading down from the doorway into complete darkness.

"Sirius I've been here two months and you showed me every part of this house," she said. "Why not this?"

"I was afraid when you saw what I have to show you that you'd be a little overwhelmed my dear."

Ginny blinked, not sure what to say to that but followed her adoptive father down a winding set of stairs. Torches lined the walls so she didn't need the light on her wand and extinguished it.

"How long has this been here?" she asked.

"The cave has been here for a long time, probably before this house was even built but what's inside it I brought back with me from the Smoking Sea. I found far more treasures there than silver and gold."

His vague tone and the solemnness with which he said it caused her to wonder what secret he could possibly be keeping.

"And I take it whatever's down here is going to help us with this plan of conquering Essos?"

"I wouldn't be taking you to it now if it didn't."

Ginny wanted to ask more questions but it was easy to see by the look on Sirius's face was that he wanted her see what he was taking her to first before he answered any of them.

It took about ten minutes of them walking down stairs before they appeared to reach the bottom and alighted on a small stone platform. The air was damp and musty down there but she could smell the ocean and for a moment Ginny envisioned that Sirius had a cave underneath his house that he was leading her to.

Ginny had to blink for a moment before she realized he was right.

"Lumos," Sirius whispered and suddenly the entire room was bathed in light.

Ginny looked around a felt her jaw slacken.

They were in the most enormous underground cave she had ever seen in her entire life. There were numerous stalagmites and stalactites coming from the floors and the ceiling which was at least ten feet high. Thank fully they were small so they didn't look as if they were going to break off at any moment.

But those only held her attention for a moment.

There appeared to be a small stream running through the cave, dripping down from the rocks on the walls to her right but she had no idea where it was coming from. The cave was at least fifty feet wide and filled with the sound of their footsteps echoing on the stones as they moved around. On what appeared to be a large altar in the middle of the stream there was a trench dug which housed an enormous burning fire. Its girth must have been the size of one of the enormous tree trunks she had seen in the gardens up above and she could feel the great heat of it from where she was standing beside Sirius.

Again, that only held her attention for a moment.

A flash of bright color drew her attention to the wall directly across from her and she felt her eyes widen and jaw go slack in shock.

There were a series of alcoves in the cave walls some large and some small but it was what was in those alcoves that took her breath away.

She counted twelve large oblong glittering orbs nestled on cushions of sand in those little alcoves being heated by the fire. They were of varying colors and as she stared at them in registered in her brain just what it was that Sirius was hiding and that he did indeed have the power to conquer the continent, and perhaps the entirety of the known world as well.

Of all the things she thought he might have found in the Smoking Sea and whatever lands were found there, what she was seeing certainly wasn't one of them.

For she was staring at a dozen dragon eggs.

She was aware of the fact that she had come from a world in which dragons were a common thing. Her older brother Charlie had worked on a dragon reserve in Romania dealing and working with the different species of dragons. It had been a relatively dangerous job and one her mother had begged him to quit but Charlie wouldn't have it. He had loved what he had done and the closest Ginny had come to a dragon was when she was in third year at the Tri-wizard Tournament and Harry had been facing the Hungarian Horntail.

Ginny also hadn't been in Essos very long but she had heard the stories of Old Valyria and the doom that had erased the civilization from the face of the earth all but the Targaryens who had escaped to the small island of Dragonstone in the Narrow Sea. It had been the only thing that had survived the doom.

A century had then gone by before the dragons were ever shown in full force again and the Age of Heroes was brought to a swift and decisive end.

After that Aegon and his sister wives Rhaenys and Visenya had taken their dragons and conquered Westeros, burning souls alive who didn't bow to them, including Merne Gardiner of the Reach and thousands of souls were horrendously burned alive on the battle field. After that Loren Lannister and the Kings of the Storm Lands and the North bent the knee to save their lives from the might of the dragons.

Then there was the terrible Dance of Dragons and the infighting between the Targaryens for the throne which signalled the age of the dragons had come to an end. None had been seen in Westeros or Essos since.

Until now that was.

"Sirius," Ginny gasped. "What….How…."

Sirius saw her completely flabbergasted expression and gave her the familiar wolfish grin she remembered when they had been back and he was about pull a prank or had done one already and waiting to see the results of it.

"I don't suppose you were expecting to see this?" he said looking very pleased with himself and uncommonly like a little boy on Christmas.

"I should say not," Ginny whispered as she stepped down into the cavern and jumped lightly across the small stream and walked closer to the alcoves. "Where on earth did you find these?"

"There are a number of small islands in the Smoking Sea that have been deserted," her adoptive father explained. "I made it my business to explore each and every one and there happened to be a few dragon eggs left behind that survived the Doom. I retrieved them and any other treasures that I found. The last journey I took was a year ago in which I discovered only one dragon egg but their being as priceless as rubies, having a dozen of them makes me the richest man in the world."

"Do you have any idea if they will hatch?" Ginny asked as she ran a hand absently over one of eggs closest to her. It was shockingly white and quite warm but she wasn't sure if that was because of the fire or because of the deep pulsing beat she felt emanating from it.

"I do," Sirius said confidently. "I discovered a ritual upon which to coax a dragon from its shell. The Targaryens across the sea believe that it is through fire and blood these creatures can be awoken from their shells but the actual truth is much simpler."

"What do you mean?"

"They require heat of course, but that's the sum total of it. The trick is to keep them constantly warm and one of the best ways to awaken them is to keep the eggs constantly in a fire."

"Almost as if one were baking potatoes," Ginny muttered sarcastically.

Sirius chuckled. "Quite a different example but in essence yes. They also have a deep rooted connection to magic and I have been trying to see what spells will awaken them."

"How long have you been trying to hatch these?' Ginny asked gazing at the dozen dragon eggs before her.

"Currently I've only been trying to hatch one," Sirius. "That white one that you're touching in fact. I didn't think it would be a good idea to try and hatch them all at once. Do you know how much damage twelve fully grown dragons would cause?"

"I can imagine."

"So I've been concentrating my efforts on only one for now and I figured if it worked, I would try the others. Qarth is on the edge of the Jade Sea but the Red Waste is for miles around and is completely uninhabited except for the desert animals. If they wished to hunt they could try the sea and there as well."

"Sirius….this is incredible," Ginny said. "But also highly dangerous. In this cavern you have the power to destroy the known world. Dragons seem to be the greatest weapons that this world has. A power like this could raze the entire universe. Is it safe for one man to have that much power?"

"A prophecy said that Harry did Ginny," Sirius said quietly. "And he chose to try and do some good with it."

At the mention of the man she might have spent the rest of her life with, Ginny gave Sirius a sad smile. "Yes I suppose you're right."

"But enough about the past," Sirius said brightening again after a moment. "There's more that I have to show you."

"I don't know if I can take any more surprises," the red head said honestly.

"Oh I think you can," Sirius said with a mischievous gleam in his eye. "Turn around."

Ginny did a bit hesitantly, wondering what other secrets Sirius could possibly be hiding in this place. She wasn't sure she wanted to know but her curiosity got the better of her and she finally turned her head to see what Sirius was pointing to.

On the wall directly across from the alcoves holding the dragon eggs, she saw another great many alcoves and nestled in them were eggs as well but there were at least twenty of them and they were smaller than the glittering orbs of the fire breathing creatures she had just seen. They were somewhat dull in color and a burnished gold. They were about the size of two of her fists put together and when she ran her hand over them she could see that they were beveled and brittle like the egg of a great bird.

"What on earth are these?" she asked. "Are they from a different species of dragon? Because I think thirty two dragon eggs is a ridiculous amount of power."

"No, they're not dragon eggs," Sirius said coming to stand next to her. "They're something far older and rarer than that."

"What could possibly be older than the dragons?" Ginny asked in wonderment.

Sirius looked as if he were thinking for a moment. "Do you remember your history of magic lessons with Professor Binns?"

"Vaguely, I fell asleep halfway through the class," Ginny admitted a bit sheepishly. "He was just so boring that he even tested Hermione's patience."

Sirius smiled. "Mine too but there was one lesson of his that I recall very well because it had to do with Godric Gryffindor. You know that Godric was a great adventurer and traveler. He was also a great warrior and a conqueror."

"Yes I remember what history said about him."

"Well then here's something you may not know. It is a lesser known fact that Godric Gryffindor was a man who discovered other worlds and was the first to travel between them, adventuring."

It didn't take Ginny long to understand what he was saying. "Do you meant to tell me that Godric Gryffindor, one of the founders of Hogwarts journeyed to this world before he went back to England and helped Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff build the school?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Sirius said solemnly. "I was reluctant to believe it myself but two years ago, I journeyed to the ruins of Old Valyria, what's left of them I suppose that hasn't been eroded by time and I made an even more telling discovery."

He led Ginny away from the wall and over to the stream near the altar where the burning fire was. He waved his hand over the water and Ginny watched in astonishment as the ground on the bottom of the stream cleared to reveal a glass case. Inside the case itself, was a magnificent great sword. It was broad and she was sure the tip of it came up past her head. There was a ruby the size of a snitch embedded in the hilt and two smaller one attached to the cross guard. But it was the color of the weapon that shocked her.

"Is it made of gold?" she asked in astonishment.

"In part," Sirius replied. "I discovered that the ancient Valyrians had natural metal deposits that had been untouched by time since the Doom and there was a legend that they treasured that in the early days of Valyria the sun rained great drops of its fire down onto the island and many of the inhabitants died. Those who survived however discovered that the drops from the sun had landed on the natural metal deposits and created something they referred to as Sunsteel, the golden fire of the sun changed its color. Like Valyrian steel Sunsteel was virtually indestructible and as rare as Valyrian steel if not more."

Ginny peered in astonishment at the sword encased in glass down on the bed of the stream. "If this is one of the swords of Godric Gryffindor why on earth didn't he take it back with him to England? A sword like this would be unlike anything anyone there had seen."

"That I don't know," Sirius replied. "But if Godric was around when the Doom came upon Valyria he may have fled back to England to save himself and left the sword behind. Look carefully at the name inscribed in the hilt. You may be surprised at what you see."

Ginny bent down and peered carefully into the stream at the hilt of the sword. It took a moment but she saw two names graven into the beveled golden hilt. One of names she recognized right away as that of Godric Gryffindor but the name that was carved beside it was one she didn't recognize. But she felt chills upon seeing it all the same.

 _Edric Gryffindor_

"Was this his son?" Ginny whispered in astonishment. "He married and had children?"

"Indeed," Sirius said and even he sounded as if he didn't quite believe it. "I'm not sure what became of the Gryffindor line after the Doom. But if Godric's children had magic like he did, I can only believe it likely that they escaped."

"Do you think they came with him to England?" Ginny asked excitedly. Her parents had always told her that the Weasleys were distantly related to Godric Gryffindor and it was where their red hair hailed from him as the founder himself had had red hair. To know that her ancestors might have been ancient Valyrians…..well it caused goose bumps to rise on her skin.

"There had to have been some children to have carried on his line, "Sirius said. "Whether those children were ones he had here and brought with him to England and or they were the product of a marriage he had in England I don't know or he had some in England left behind some in Valyria, I don't know. But it's safe to say that Godric Gryffindor came to this world and he did establish roots."

Ginny was utterly gobsmacked and Sirius must have seen it for he began to laugh. "You look as if someone has slapped you with a fish Ginny. What are you thinking about?"

"It's just a lot to wrap my head around," the red head replied honestly. "I know that I am very distantly related to Godric Gryffindor but never in my wildest dreams did I think he would have a legacy like this."

"It is rather mind blowing," Sirius said smiling.

Ginny turned back to the alcove that housed the strange eggs. "So what are these eggs exactly? I don't know if I can handle any more surprises tonight."

Sirius chuckled and led her back over to the wall. "There were more ancient animals in Valyria than just dragons Ginny. What is the symbol of Gryffindor House?"

She looked at him for a long moment to see if he was pulling her leg and when his expression remained deadly serious, her own eyes widened.

"You can't be serious!"

"I've never been more serious in my life."

Ginny turned back and stared at the dull brown eggs. Some were more of a golden color but in the end they were all the same shade.

"Gryphons are extinct," she whispered. "The closest relative we have to them are the hippogriffs. And those one's weren't half lion."

"They may have been extinct in England Ginny but it would appear that Godric Gryffindor bred them in Old Valyria. Half lion half eagle, they were unlike anything ever seen before, in England or here."

"How on earth did you find them?" Ginny asked almost unwilling to believe her eyes.

"It appeared that Godric had left magical protections behind so that only someone with magic could come along and retrieve them. Since I was the first, I was allowed to take them. These are the last gryphon eggs in existence."

Ginny placed her hand back on the beveled eggs not sure she truly believed it. Gryphons and their great strength and speed were myths in England and it was said that one time they had existed in ancient Greece but hadn't been seen anywhere since.

"In ancient times it was said that they could grow to be the size of a horse and could be ridden into battle. In fact when the Old Valyrians obliterated the Ghiscari people and invaded their capital it wasn't only their dragons they rode into battle."

"They took the gryphons as well," Ginny whispered.

"Yes. And though the gryphons couldn't breathe fire like their scaled counterparts, the speed they possessed when flying rivaled that of the dragons and their razor talons could tear a man in half before he could even draw his sword. The dragons razed the buildings and the gryphons took care of those who remained on the ground."

"It makes you wonder how such an old and powerful civilization came to an end the way it did," Ginny muttered as she ran a hand over the gryphon egg. "But then no one thought that a civilization as powerful as the Roman empire would collapse as well."

"Very true."

Ginny turned and looked around at the enormous cavern once more and took all of it in at one time.

The dragon eggs, the gryphon eggs and the sword of Godric Gryffindor, probably more ancient that the one that had been pulled from the Sorting Hat on numerous occasions….it was beyond incredible.

"This is the legacy of Godric Gryffindor," she whispered. "I can't believe this is all possible."

"Trust me that was my reaction when I learned that the founder of our house had been a part of an ancient civilization that we didn't even know about."

After taking another moment of silence to take in all of the vast power before her, Ginny turned to her adoptive father. "I wasn't sure you knew what you were getting yourself into when you said you wanted to end the slave trade for good. Now I think you know exactly what you're doing."

"When have I ever not?" Sirius said cheekily. "We should probably be heading back upstairs. The servants know not to enter the library unless they are given permission by me and the last thing I want is for any of them to see this place."

The walk back up the stairs was quiet as Ginny contemplated all that she had seen and the fact that her ancestors had been a part of this ancient world. It was quite mind boggling when she broke it all down and for once she had forgotten all about the dull ache in her heart from the loss of her family.

They came back up into the library in which Sirius locked the door and muttered the spell to ward it before pushing the bookcase back into place.

He turned and smiled at her. "Daughter I believe we have plans to discuss. Come with me."

Ω

The rest of the evening saw the two of them sitting on the terrace with goblets of wine and talking in quiet voices about their future plans. Sirius wanted to obliterate the slave trade as it was a vile practice that he had endured for four years before he managed to get out.

Ginny was in agreement even though she had only gotten a taste of the life, she knew Missandei still had nightmares about her time with Master Kraznys.

 _No one should have to suffer like that,_ she thought fiercely.

"There are going to be people who resist what we're trying to do," she warned Sirius and he nodded.

"Ginny there are always going to be people who stand in the way of what is right. That doesn't mean that you let them stop you. You either go around them or you go through them. If the slave trade is gone and all of Essos is going to be united into a single country than there are going to need to be roads between the cities as a way for transport. We can open trade even further to all the other ports. What need do men have of slaves? It doesn't bring into Essos art or culture or food or any other thing but to line the pockets of the masters."

Ginny thought of the master she and Missandei had had before she had found Sirius and shuddered with rage. There were hundreds of men like that in this country.

"Well if we're going to follow through on this plan of yours we can't do anything until the dragons have hatched. They'll provide the greatest incentive for people to comply. And if we're going to turn this country around we're going to need someone to lead it and have an army to police it."

"There is a freestanding army in Astapor," Sirius mused. "They are said to be the best fighters in east some say the world. Unfortunately they are slaves so we would have to free them before asking them for their service. I don't plan to free slaves using slaves. I would be the biggest hypocrite in the world then."

"So we wait for the dragons to hatch, and then go to Astapor to see about buying this army," Ginny frowned. "What are they known as?"

"The Unsullied."

Ω

 **I think for a civilization as advanced as Old Valyria it wouldn't be hard to believe that other creatures besides dragons existed. Also I took liberties with the story of Godric Gryffindor if you can't tell. I have big plans for this story so stay tuned and don't forget to review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ginny was quite glad when the Thirteen decided to postpone their appointment with Sirius for another day, thus giving her a chance to learn up on them and their dealings within Qarth. The last thing she wanted to do was make things difficult for her adoptive father.

She learned that most of them were pure born, meaning they were descendants of the deposed kings of Qarth who held hereditary seats. The rest of the council was made up of merchants who were invited by the council and remained there as long as they were powerful and feared enough not to be dismissed or replaced by another candidate.

Sirius had been invited to sit on these councils many times but he had always refused, not wanting to appear the lap dog of foolish men who only cared for wealth. Though he was the wealthiest man in Qarth and they were veritably the government, Sirius did not fear them and knew he could wipe them out if he wanted.

It all reminded Ginny a little too much of the Wizengamot back in England. All of the seats had been held by purebloods and no one of lesser birth were permitted to sit on a house seat. The seats were hereditary as well and thus it resulted in a very close minded system that cared not for the whims of anyone but themselves.

 _This is becoming all too familiar to me,_ Ginny thought to herself grimly.

There was the spice king who had told Sirius rather flippantly that his name was too long for foreigners to pronounce so he preferred only to be known as a dealer of spices.

As for the Copper King and the Silk King, she didn't know much about them nor did she want to. They were all greedy men who both feared Sirius but at the same time wished for his power.

Fools.

Ginny soon put them out of her mind and spent the next few days down in the cavern with Sirius, watching as he invoked several rituals to rouse the dragons from their slumber. Some required blood but he was careful not to spill too much and Ginny watched in astonishment as the few drops of blood disappeared into the surface of the pure white egg that was beveled and scaled as if they were made of dragon scales themselves.

"Is it working?" she asked as Sirius returned the dragon egg to the fire with a large set of tongs.

"Only time will tell," her adoptive father replied. "Come, we will check back on them this evening. Perhaps then the dragon will have decided to wake."

It wasn't only the dragon eggs that fascinated Ginny. The gryphon eggs as well also held her interest. They fit perfectly in the palms of both of her hands and whenever she picked one of them up, they seemed to pulse with light and heat all their own, convincing her even further that it wouldn't be long before they hatched.

Unlike the dragon eggs however, Sirius had no idea how to hatch them and so simply resorted to keeping them warm and hoping for the best.

It was probably best if they didn't emerge from their shells just yet. Creatures as large as dragons and gryphons were bound to receive unwanted attention and the last thing

Ginny or Sirius wanted was for them to be taken when they were too small to defend themselves.

Ginny already felt rather protective over the unhatched creatures and knew she would be more than displeased if something were to happen to them.

About a week after Sirius had introduced her to the cavern and she first laid eyes on the dragons, Ginny descended into the vault in the early evening. Sirius had shown her the spell to open the door as the last thing he wanted was for something to happen to him and Ginny to be unable to enter the place.

She had thrown herself into dragon research since Sirius had taken her to the vault and spent most of the day educating herself more about the world she lived in. It was a welcome distraction from sitting around and thinking about her parents, allowing the ache in her heart to fester.

On this particular evening, Ginny had discovered something that might help with the hatching of the eggs.

She was only going to try it on the egg Sirius had been working on to see if it would work and if not than they would have to simply resort to keeping it warm.

Blood magic was considered something very dark magic in England but during the year that Harry, Hermione and Ron had gone on their quest to destroy the Horcruxes, Ginny had searched the restricted section of the library thoroughly to see what spells she might find useful to defend herself and the rest of her classmates.

All bets had been off at that point with the Carrows as teachers and Ginny had cared about nothing else but destroying as many of her enemies as possible. All of the spells she found useful, she had written down on a piece of paper and kept it on her person at all times so that she might bring it out if she needed it.

Of course she didn't have it on her when she had fallen through the Veil but most of the spells she had written down she had used throughout the war and memorized. Just in case she had written them down in a book when she first arrived in Qarth however.

There had been a book on blood magic she had read in her sixth year and it had contained some very dark incantations, things that hadn't been uttered since the time of the Founders.

Ginny recalled one spell that required one to slit the palm of their hand and hold it over an object they wished to animate for it to come to life. She remembered that spell specifically because she had used it once to transform one of the great stone lions in the Ministry into a real lion to take out several Death Eaters.

She wasn't sure if it would work in this instance but figured it was worth a try. She just hoped that death wasn't necessary for them to emerge. She had already lost too much already and didn't want to lose anymore.

Sirius was her only family and if something were to happen to him, she didn't want to think about what she would do.

Shaking off the dark thoughts, Ginny descended into the vault and stepped lightly over the stream, taking care to avoid the ever burning fire on the large altar on the middle of it.

She hurried over to the alcoves in which the dragon eggs rested before gently taking hold of the white one.

For some reason it felt warmer than usual and she took that as a good omen that it would hatch soon.

It seemed a little heavier than normal as well and she wondered about the curious phenomena for a moment before she hurried over to the stream and stood ankle deep in it as she prepared to place the egg among the flames.

Sirius had told her that it would only be with fire and blood that the dragons would wake and Ginny had developed her own theory about that.

Sirius had tried fire and he had tried blood, but he hadn't tried them both together.

Ginny also recalled him telling her the story about Godric Gryffindor and how he had settled in Old Valyria, marrying and fathering god only knew how many children. They didn't know if his children had remained behind avoiding the Doom or if they had gone with him to England to escape it. Perhaps some had gone and some had stayed behind.

They would never really truly know but Ginny liked to think that some had gone to England and some had stayed behind. For some reason it comforted her to think that her ancestors had been part of Old Valyria. If she had a familial connection to this land than it would make it easier to settle here.

With this in mind, she set the egg on the edge of the altar and took a deep breath before pushing it into the flames as far as she dared before the heat became unbearable.

Once it was in the center of the inferno, Ginny took a deep breath and pulled out the small knife she had taken from the kitchen from her pocket.

She felt rather like a child who had stolen something when she had taken it but had squashed the feeling and hid the knife away.

The pressed the edge of the knife to her palm and steadied herself as she worked up the nerve for what she was about to do.

Finally, the dug the serrated edge into her palm and sliced downward. She felt a quick sharp pain and pulled the knife away before tightening her fist shut.

Hesitantly she held her hand over the flames and opened her palm wide, watching as the dark red liquid dropped down through the flames and landed, steaming upon the egg.

There was a hissing sound as the blood seeped into the shell of the egg and Ginny watched in anticipation.

After several minutes however, she realized nothing was going to happen. She let out a small sound of disappointment but turned around and made for the stairs, leaving the egg still in the flames.

She would check back on it later. If anything, dragon eggs required constant heat to hatch and this might at least speed along the process.

Sirius was away for the day and Ginny had decided it spend it reading in the library again and taking a walk along the shore.

 _I've spent so much time in the library the past few months I suppose this is what Hermione felt like. And she did it voluntarily._

Having not spent too much time on the shore beyond the villa, Ginny was eager to see the beach and put her feet in the water and the sand. It seemed to be a lovely idea and one that she was eager to pursue.

Once she had locked the door to the cavern and ensured the bookshelf was back in place, Ginny departed from the library and enticed Missandei to take a walk on the beach with her. The servant was only too happy to agree.

Since Sirius had set her free and she had agreed to work for him for the amount he paid her, she had become a much happier person and more open to talking both with Ginny and all the other servants who had welcomed her as one of their own.

She and the servant walked along the shore away from the house slowly. Ginny was careful not to go too far as she didn't know Qarth well enough yet to go exploring.

Missandei seemed a good deal happier to be out of the house and walking along the shore with her new mistress.

The two were quiet for a long while before Ginny recalled something she had been curious about since she had arrived in Qarth.

"Missandei," she asked. "My father has told me all about Qarth and the merchants within its walls. But there is one building he's never told me about and I've never asked.

There is an old tower in this city with no windows and doors and I've heard merchants and slaves mention the word warlocks more than once. What does it all mean?"

The servant looked a little uncomfortable. "That tower is known as the House of the Undying where the Warlocks of Qarth reside. They are known to dress in long beaded robes.

They do not come out very often but when they do you will know them by their white skin and pale blue lips. It is said that their lips are permanently stained blue from drinking shade of the evening which they think will give them greater knowledge."

"Do they practice magic?" Ginny asked warily.

"Legend tells of the mighty power of the warlocks," Missandei continued, her voice becoming even lower as if she were afraid that someone would over hear her. "But it's also said in the last century that they have done very little so people believe that their power has waned. The House of the Undying was once a mighty place but has since become a grey stone ruin as they don't repair or expand it. People call it the Palace of Dust now. Even so the warlocks are still regarded with respect.

 _So their magic may yet remain,_ Ginny thought to herself. _But it's likely different than Sirius's and mine. They may pose a threat if Sirius carries out his plans to obliterate the slave trade._

"And what do you think about them?" she asked the servant and Missandei looked down at her folded hands.

"I keep away from them my lady. Magic is something that is unpredictable. If there was one that could control it, it would make them the most powerful man or woman in the world."

 _It's a good thing you're on our side Missandei,_ Ginny thought wryly. _I have a feeling you're going to be seeing things soon that will be the stuff of legend._

"Are the warlocks dangerous?" she asked.

"None can say my lady," the servant replied. "They do not often emerge from the House of the Undying and when they do, they say strange things. Strange things that I cannot explain, nor do I wish to know about them. Xaro Xhoan Daxos believes that the Shade of the Evening has turned their minds soft."

Ginny privately agreed. These warlocks sounded far too strange and bizarre for her liking, but if they had magic they were something to be wary about. She would need to keep an eye on the situation and thus tell Sirius to be wary as well.

Qarth was indeed a strange place.

She recalled when Xaro Daxos had said to her a few weeks earlier when she had been in the marketplace with Sirius.

 _"We call Qarth the greatest city that ever was or will be. It is an easy claim to make if one knows only the docks and customs of other cities. It is an easy lie to swallow if a people only see the gold and jewels of their rulers which we the Thirteen who govern this city are careful to ensure."_

He seemed to place great stalk in the city itself and on things not being as they appeared in it.

 _He seems to prefer his parlor tricks as much as the warlocks or the Thirteen do,_ Ginny thought grimly.

She hoped that would be brought to an end once Sirius's plans came to fruition.

She was still a little wary of the idea of the two of them conquering the free cities. Sirius had said that he wished to make the world a better place than what it was and she agreed with him. Sometimes war was necessary for there to truly be peace.

She didn't relish the thought of killing but the bitter truth was that sometimes it was necessary. Sirius had already told her that he planned to spill as little blood as possible and it was likely that only the masters would be the ones to kick up a fuss. Ginny couldn't bring herself to care what happened to them. She had seen the scars on Missandei's arms and it enraged her that such a sweet girl as her friend had gone through something like that.

No her adoptive father was right, it was time for a change and they were the only one who had the power to do something about it.

Ginny looked down at her right arm and the wand that was bound to the inside of it. Though her abilities with wandless magic had become better over the past two months of her being in Qarth she was still nowhere as proficient as she was when she did use her wand.

It was frustration because Sirius was already so good without he didn't need to carry it at all. Ginny suspected one of the reasons she kept her own wand on her at all times was a means of security, a way to anchor herself to her old life and remember those she had left behind and would never see again.

She felt tears prick at her eyes and she blinked them away harshly. They were gone and she needed to let them go. Tears wouldn't bring her family back and she had fit into this world rather well. She wouldn't shame her family's memory by refusing the live in the second chance she had been given.

Tonight Sirius was to take her to a gathering at Xaro Daxos' manse. It would be attended by a number of wealthy Quartheen noblemen and she had a feeling one of the purposes of the gathering was to get to know Lord Gryffindor's daughter better.

 _Great, just great._

Ginny had been the definition of a bold Gryffindor. She could be cunning when she wanted to be but she preferred straight honesty and clean conversation. Everyone in this damnable world seemed to be a Slytherin, saying one thing and meaning the other and making her think twice about everything she did and said.

She Daxos was an ambitious man and had long seen it as ambition of his to rule Qarth. Even though he was one of the wealthiest men in the city, it never seemed to be enough for him.

 _Whoever loves money…..never has enough of it…whoever loves wealth…..is never satisfied._

An odd proverb to think of now.

Sirius didn't want to go as much as she did but for the sake of appearances they would have to attend.

Ginny wanted to absorb as much of the quiet before she had to her first party in Qarth. No doubt there would be many people there and she already knew that the Thirteen feared Sirius as they had offered him a place on their council which he had declined.

Refusing the Thirteen was something that hadn't been done before and Ginny imagined they would keep a greater eye on Sirius after that.

The last thing that they would want is an upstart.

"What do you know of Xaro Daxos Missandei?" she asked and the servant girl shrugged. "He is one of the wealthier men in Qarth like your father but perhaps less so. He built his way up from nothing like your father did and has much to show for it. Perhaps he believes they have something in common in that regard."

And that was the ticket of it.

Ginny knew that Daxos was rather envious of the amount of wealth that Sirius had amassed for himself in the days that he done what no man dared to do and sailed into the Smoking Sea. Qarth didn't even know about half the wealth he had brought back in terms of dragon and gryphon eggs and if Sirius had his way no man would ever know until the dragons were full grown.

Daxos had built his livelihood on trade and Ginny had a feeling that he was jealous that Sirius had done the same thing and been more successful at it than him.

 _But he doesn't have magic,_ Ginny thought thinking of her adoptive father proudly. Sirius had worked so hard to get where he was at and he deserved the recognition and benefits that came along with being Lord Gryffindor.

 _Perhaps tonight won't be too bad,_ she thought to herself. _As long as I avoid Daxos and speak with only the appropriate amount of people than I should be fine._

She knew a lot of people would be curious about her parentage and who her mother was but she was glad that she and Sirius had worked out a story for that.

She was a woman of Volantis who had recently died and was of some small wealth and Ginny had taken a small retinue of her mother's east to Qarth to meet her father and that was to be the end of it.

Ginny just hoped people's curiosity would stop there. The last thing she wanted to do was tell people where they could shove it. She didn't want to make things difficult for Sirius.

Missandei took note of the sun growing lower in the sky and touched Ginny's arm hesitantly. "We should return to the house my lady. We need to ready you for your departure to the gathering. Lord Sirius should be arriving soon as well."

Ginny sighed, giving up even her private desires for a quiet evening in.

"Very well," she said. "Let's go."

Ω

"Well," Ginny said. "This is certainly…..decadent."

She and Sirius had arrived at the home of Daxos no more than two hours after her walk on the beach with Missandei and even the red head was a little impressed with the wealth that he displayed.

The gardens were a wonder of trees and flowering shrubs as well as enormous golden statues of the Quartheen birds scattered along the paths and among the shrubs. The scent of incense was heavy on the air and though not an unpleasant situation, she assumed it would give her a headache after a while.

There were exotic fruits everywhere and Ginny felt her stomach growl quietly with hunger. The spices on the air masked the smell of meat cooking and she suddenly felt ravenous not having eaten much all day.

Ginny had taken hold of Sirius's arm as his daughter and was attired in a long blue dress that bared her shoulders. There was gold lattice work about the shoulders and it had a plunging neckline with the same gold lattice work about the waist which made her a little wary of putting it on.

She was just thankful that she wasn't truly wearing the Quartheen fashion for if she did the dress would require her to leave one breast exposed a concept she found galling.

Missandei had left her hair long in scarlet curls.

The red head was not accustomed to having servants as her mother was a self-made woman who never kept a house elf. Ginny had learned to do things by herself and not to complain about what was put on the table in front of her.

The fact that there was so much opulent wealth displayed only reminded her of how thankful she was for what she had in this new life and all those who didn't have it.

 _All in good time,_ she thought. _Sirius and I are going to try and bring about change._

There was the low murmur of laughter in the garden as guests dressed in rich garments milled about with goblets of wine in their hands.

As soon as Sirius made an appearance with his daughter however a good many people came over to talk to them. He seemed to be the one that all of them wished to talk to and converse with.

Being the wealthiest man in Qarth did inspire a good deal of admirers as well as those who wished some of his good fortune would smile upon them.

Ginny could feel eyes on her as she remained on her adoptive father's arm and after a while her cheeks began to hurt from smiling and making small talk.

She glanced up at Sirius who was conversing with the Spice King about variations in the trade through Qarth.

 _Merlin how does he do this day in and day out?_ She wondered. _I would go absolutely insane!_

Finally the Spice King turned his gaze on her. "Ah and this would be the mysterious daughter I have yet to meet Lord Gryffindor. Quite a beauty she is. It must come from her mother."

Ginny knew he was subtly asking about her previous residence and standing and decided she wasn't going to give this man the satisfaction of trying to intimidate her.

"My mother was quite the beauty in Volantis sir," she said her tone light so as not to give him the wrong impression but firm enough so he would not think her pliable. "My father often tells me I take after her."

"Ah," the Spice King said peering at her closely. "A pity we never learned the name of the woman who had captured Lord Gryffindor's heart. He is one of the most sought after men in this city and upon hearing of the arrival of his daughter, many of the women were crushed thinking he was already taken."

Ginny opened her mouth again to speak but was silenced when Sirius cut her off. "My daughter Ginevra is the only company I need. The women will surely have to fend for themselves."

"Of course," the Spice King replied and when he had moved off Ginny looked at Sirius sideways.

"He had all the subtlety of a raging dragon in a small village. Why are they all so curious about me?"

Sirius chuckled. "I live a quiet life Ginny. They are curious about anyone of wealth and position in this city and to know that I have a secret daughter that none of them knew about is….well to say the least scrumptious gossip. They all want to know who you are and where you came from. And they will keep prodding until they know for certain."

Ginny scowled slightly. "Bunch of old busybodies. I wish I could tell them where they could stick it."

Sirius's chuckle deepened and he patted the hand that was on her arm. "At time so do I. And it won't be much longer that we need to endure their pleasantries. We only need to be here for an hour or two to be polite."

Ginny wanted to say to hell with politeness but if they left early it would make Sirius look bad and the last thing she wanted to do was make things harder for him.

The maze of hedges the wound its way around the gardens was like a maze separating her from the entrance and she looked at it longingly, wanting to escape.

Fortunately then she was engaged in conversation with another woman who seemed eager to meet Lord Gryffindor's daughter.

They spoke of various things like how Ginny was adjusting to Qarth and the red head seemed more at ease when Sirius left to speak with the Copper King. She was glad the subject of her nonexistent mother hadn't come up.

The woman had dark hair almost all pinned up with some curious golden bands scattered throughout her dresses and she was wearing a bronze gown. She seemed nice enough so Ginny indulged her.

"And you simply must visit the Night Market. The Qartheen Night Market is like no Night Market you have ever seen," the woman said and Ginny was simply forced to smile along.

Having never seen a Night Market, she had no idea what it was.

"It sounds wonderful," she said with a smile, keeping one eye on Sirius to make sure he was within sight at all times.

"The Mereen in the east have a Night Market," the woman went on. "I will take you there myself."

Ginny continued to smile at the woman before she caught sight of Sirius beckoning to her. "Excuse me."

She smiled at the woman and inclined her head before hurrying off to her adoptive father.

He had just finished speaking with the Copper King who leered slightly at Ginny and eyed her up and down before hurrying away to speak with Xaro Daxos.

"I believe I have spoken with everyone that it is necessary to speak with," Sirius said to her quietly. "Did you play nice?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "How do these people act as if I am so important when they don't even know me?"

"You are the daughter of the wealthiest man in Qarth," Sirius supplied. "I am important and by extension so are you."

"I'm not really your daughter," Ginny said very quietly.

"Sometimes a daughter of the heart is far better than a daughter of the blood."

His words caused a tension to ease inside of her, something she didn't even know that she was holding on to and she gave him a soft look. "Thank you Sirius. And sometimes a father of the heart is better than a father of the blood as well."

He smiled at her and bent down to kiss the top of her head.

"Lord Gryffindor! Lady Ginevra!"

Both witch and wizard turned around to see a tall pale man in deep purple robes approaching them. He was bare headed and had not an inch of hair upon his scalp. His lips and mouth were tinged a deep blue and his dark blue eyes flashed curiously as he took them in. He reminded Ginny of the way a man might look if he never got enough sleep and drank too much caffeine. It was an odd and bizarre combination.

He stopped a few feet from the two of them and bowed only to her. "On behalf of the warlocks of Qarth, I welcome you to the city."

He took a step forward and offered her his hand. "A demonstration."

Ginny looked at him warily when she heard the word warlocks but realized far too many people were looking at her she realized it would be unwise to refuse and she was no coward so she stepped forward and took his hand.

He took her hand in both of his and suddenly produced a jewel from his sleeve. "This gem….look at it."

 _An odd request,_ Ginny thought. But she stared at the strange amber gem all the same. She didn't see anything particularly fascinating about it and looked up at the warlock with one eye raised.

"So many facets," he said before giving her an odd smile. "Look closely enough…..and you can see yourself in them."

He turned and looked back towards the golden statue of the bird he had stopped in front of as if he were looking at someone.

"Often more than once," another voice said and Ginny looked up from the gem, startled to see an identical man to the one speaking to her on the other side of the statue. They bore the same dress, bearing vocal tone everything.

 _Do all warlocks look the same?_ She wondered.

"Should your curiosity about Qarth ever consume you," the first one said. "It would be an honor to host you at the House of the Undying. You would always be welcome there."

And then he turned as quickly as he had come and walked off with the other man, taking the gem with him.

Ginny blinked. _What the bloody hell just happened?_

The watching audience began to applaud and Sirius stepped forward to put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright Ginny?"

"Yes," she said slowly. "That was just…..bizarre. I felt like he was peering right into my mind. I thought the magic of the warlocks had waned throughout the centuries?"

"It has," Sirius said grimly. "Yet even their magic is different to ours. Most of what they do now is parlor tricks, but I would be wary of them all the same. History dictated that they had been very powerful. They wouldn't have tried anything here so you were safe enough. Though I find it very odd that you were the subject of their speculation."

"Maybe they were just curious," Ginny offered although in her heart she truly didn't think that was so.

"Maybe," Sirius said watching the place where the warlock had stood moments before with his eyes narrowed. "But all the same I would be watchful none the less. They might pose a problem in the future."

"My apologies," said a voice and Ginny turned around the see Xaro Daxos approaching. "Pyat Pree is one of the Thirteen so it was customary that I extend him an invitation. Customs die slow deaths in Qarth."

He was dressed in the garb of Qarth with a sword at his side and a collar of golden threaded lattice work was woven about his neck.

"It's alright," Ginny said though she could tell by Sirius's expression that it was most certainly not alright. "What exactly is the House of the Undying?"

She had heard a little bit about it from Missandei but now she wanted to hear Daxos' definition.

"It is where the warlocks go to squint at dusty books and drink Shade of the Evening. It turns their lips blue….and their minds soft. So soft in fact that they actually believe their parlor tricks are magic."

 _If that was magic it was unlike anything I've ever seen,_ Ginny mused as she looked up at their host for the evening. "Have you ever seen them perform magic?"

"Not since I have been a part of this city. And in my private opinion they their magic is only in their mind and may very well be a hallucination."

"All the same Xaro, I believe my daughter and I will retiring for the evening. We thank you for your hospitality."

"It was pleasure," the dark skinned man replied. "It would be my honor to host you again."

He gave Ginny an appreciative look before Sirius took her arm and led her back to the entrance of the gardens so they might apparate back to the villa.

Ω

Ginny thought about the interest of the warlocks in her until late into the night.

Just what had it all meant?

Pyat Pree had looked at her as if she were someone very special and not in the good way. He looked as if there was something he wanted from her and he would not stop until he got it.

For a moment, she panicked. _Does he know about my magic? But how could he possible know that? I admit the magic of this place is strange but could he have seen into my mind? And wouldn't I have felt him if he did._

She sighed and threw back the covers of her bed, knowing she wasn't going to be getting any sleep tonight after the evening she had had.

She needed to find out more about these warlocks and what their purpose was in Qarth. They were spoken of with a great deal of respect but there had to be a reason they merited it now even if their magic was mere parlor tricks as Xaro Daxos had claimed.

She wrapped her robe around herself and padded silently into the hall taking her wand with her.

Ginny quickly descended the stairs and made her way to the library and the vault. She wanted to have a look at the dragon eggs again. Just being in the cavern with its warm fire and the eggs surrounding her gave her a peace that she had only found on the shore.

She quickly locked the door to the library and pushed the bookcase to one side until the door to the vault was revealed.

Ginny spoke the incantation that would open the door and watched with satisfaction as it opened before she lit up her wand and descended into the darkness.

The time it took to reach the cavern seemed faster than usual or perhaps that was because she was hurrying.

When she finally reached the bottom, she took in the still blazing fire on top of the altar and the egg still sitting among the flames and breathed a sigh of relief.

The air was pleasantly warm down there but it wasn't stifling and she was glad for it.

Ginny caught sight of the egg still sitting wreathed in flames and walked slowly towards the altar, wary of the blazing heat.

As she neared the altar, it almost seemed as if she were looking into a mirage because her vision of the egg seemed to waver and shimmer in the heat.

Ginny peered at it and looked around for some way to remove the egg so she could get a better look at it.

All of a sudden, she remembered something, a charm Professor Flitwick had taught her privately in fifth year.

It would make her immune to the effects of fire for all but five seconds. He knew how to maintain it for longer and she knew there were potions that would make one immune to the effects of fire but she didn't have time to whip out her cauldron and concoct one right now.

Instead, she took a deep breath and whispered the words to the spell, pleased when she looked down and saw that her right hand seemed to shimmer at the spell took hold.

Hesitantly she reached towards the flames, knowing she had to be quick.

The moment she touched the egg however, something strange happened and she felt a tingling sensation like ice racing up her arm and she drew it back with a curse.

Ginny stared in surprise down at her hand and saw with astonishment that a peculiar mark was forming on her palm.

The mark itself was no larger than a coin and completely silver as if the egg had been dipped in some sort of solution that she now had upon her hand.

Ginny stared at it in shock for a moment. _What the bloody hell just happened?_

She hesitantly touched the mark and felt it tingle, as if cold spring water had been dashed onto her palm. She jerked her fingers back, unsure of what to do, at a loss as to explain what had happened.

She touched her palm again and it gave off the same sensation but the mark didn't go away and Ginny's curiosity only increased.

She was about to examine her palm even more closely and brought it up to the light of the fire when a curious sound stopped her.

It was the sound of something cracking, tearing apart and a slicing sound like something wet being torn in two.

Ginny looked up and felt the breath leave her lungs when she saw the white dragon egg wreathed in flames…..begin to move.

She blinked stupidly when all of a sudden a large line appeared in the surface of the egg indicating that it was cracking in two.

The red head watched at the lines in the egg fragmented and became larger and even more noticeable like a canyon appearing after years of erosion.

Finally the shell could sustain no more fragmentation and split apart to reveal the small creature that was inside.

And Ginny found herself face to face with a living breathing dragon.

No thoughts passed through her brain as she gazed upon the tiny creature other than how utterly beautiful it was.

It's scales were as brilliant a white as pearls and shone like diamonds. It was no larger than a kitten and seemed about as graceful as one as well. Its's wings which it attempted to unfurl were wet with the membrane of the egg and sticky as well. Its wingspan was no longer than her arm from the tips of her fingers to her elbow and it's neck was about as long as her hand.

Ginny gave a choking gasp and hesitantly raised her hand toward the dragon as if to touch it.

It gave a peculiar squeaking sound and hopped towards her.

The moment Ginny's fingers came into contact with its head, she felt the same tingling sensation in her hand as when she had touched the egg earlier.

Completely unafraid, the white dragon hatchling hopped onto her hand and crawled up her arm to rest on her shoulder.

It sat there, completely content to stay and clean itself off as if it were a cat that had fallen into the water.

Ginny hesitantly decided to try some of her wandless magic and see if it would work. She raised her palm slowly to the dragon's head so it would see that she meant it no harm.

"Scourgify."

The effects were instantaneous and the dragon shook out its wings that were free of any moisture now and nuzzled its head against the side of her face.

Ginny gave a shaky gasp, having no idea why she was feeling so emotional and reached out to stroke the dragon's scales.

 _I can't believe this is happening,_ she thought to herself in astonishment. _The dragons have been gone for so long…..and now they've returned._

As she stood there in the stream slowly touching the head of the beautiful white newborn dragon on her shoulder, Ginny began to smile because she realized they were now that much closer to make Sirius's ambitions a reality.

With the might of the dragons, they would end the slave trade for good….and perhaps make Essos a better place in the process.

For the first time since she had arrived in Qarth….she felt happy.

Ω

 **The warlocks' interest in Ginny will be explained in the coming chapters. I had an idea that might prove to be interesting regarding them and I want to keep them around for a while before Ginny and Sirius go to Astapor. Yay a dragon has hatched! This will be the start of interesting things for Ginny and Sirius. I hope you enjoy it and don't forget to review!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Ginny was beyond ecstatic at the hatching of the dragon. It was such a beautiful creature and was white a freshly washed pearl. The egg shells had blackened in the fire as soon as the dragon left it and she had stood there in the stream with the white dragon sitting on her shoulder making its odd squeaking sounds for a long time.

She knew she ought to go and wake Sirius and tell him the fantastic news, but it was the middle of the night and she didn't want to disturb him.

But the dragon had begun nuzzling her hair and she had a feeling it was hungry and looking for something to eat.

Ginny wondered for a moment if it would drink milk like any other baby animal and decided that it was worth a try.

She had asked Sirius if it was possible to apparate in and out of the cavern and he had said no, that despite the fact that they seemed to be the only two magic users around, he didn't want to take any chances.

Ginny hurriedly disillusioned the dragon and left him on her shoulder while she hurried up the stairs of the vault back through the library to the kitchen. After retrieving the milk and a small dish she scampered back down to the vault where she placed the dish on one of the stone steps and filled it with milk setting the dragon beside it so it could drink.

The small white creature sniffed at the liquid cautiously before deciding that it was safe and lowered its head to drink.

While it was occupied with that, Ginny took a moment to take in the mark that touching the egg had left on her hand. It hadn't happened when she was touching the egg as it had been wreathed in flames and looking at her hand again she could see that the silvery mark was beginning to fade until it was no more than the size of her finger and resting on the muscle of her thumb.

 _It seems I'm in for a great many surprises tonight._

Ginny glanced down at the white dragon as it feasted on the milk and smiled absently. She knew she was going to have to name the tiny creature soon and began considering potential titles.

She didn't want to name him after anyone in her family because she was sure that would do nothing but make her feel worse and instead began to consider the names of her ancestors.

Naming the Godric seemed rather cliché so she began to consider the Weasley ancestors.

She recalled her grandfather Septimus who had married Cedrella Black and was labelled a blood traitor, blasted off the family tree. He had married the woman he loved and didn't care what others thought about it even though she was from a family that was traditionally dark.

Septimus had started a new life with someone who wasn't traditionally on the light side and had loved her and had children with her.

Ginny had never met her grandfather as he had died before she was born but her father had often told her that Septimus was a kind and caring man as well as an exceptional duelist and he had loved Cedrella no matter who her family was.

Ginny looked down at the small creature who was eagerly lapping up the milk.

 _I suppose Septimus is as good a name as any,_ she thought. _My grandfather started a new life with an unconventional woman and this dragon I suppose is a new symbol of mine._

She watched as the newly dubbed Septimus finished the disk of milk and appeared rather tired. She smiled slightly and returned the dragon to her shoulder as he stretched his wings sleepily. He reminded Ginny a little bit of a cat with his squeaks and the way he walked.

The red head returned the small creature to the alcove of sand by the fire and watched as Septimus curled up and seemed to go right to sleep.

Ginny watched him for a moment and wondered how it was that she felt such a protective feeling towards the small creature even though he was less than an hour old.

 _Speaking of the time I had better get some rest. I'll tell Sirius about Septimus hatching tomorrow and then we can decide where to go from there._

As Ginny made her way up the stairs of the Vault back to the library, she was reminded of the presence of the warlocks that evening at Xaro Daxos' residence. They had looked at her with a bit too much interest.

 _Is it possible that they know I have magic?_ Ginny wondered to herself. _Is there a type of magic here that they have that's identical to Legilimency?_

The magic of the mind was still something she was a bit unfamiliar with. Harry had told her that he wanted her to protect her mind when she went back to school for her final year before the battle so she had focused on Occlumency instead.

Given what she had learned with the warlocks that evening, Ginny began to wonder if she shouldn't start practicing looking into minds as well.

She shut the door of the vault, used the spells to lock it and left the library as quietly as she had come.

The red head had a feeling as she went up to bed that nothing would be the same from here on out.

Ω

The following morning, Ginny practically dragged Sirius down to the vault to show him the newly hatched Septimus and he was just as ecstatic as she was. When he questioned her on what she had done to achieve it she explained she had simply combined the fire with her blood and the egg had opened for her.

This caused an odd look to rise on Sirius's face and he said they would need to consider the matter further. Ginny's ancestry from Godric Gryffindor might have something to do with this. That notion had caused the red head's eyes to widen and she vowed she would learn the mystery of her blood if it was the last thing she did.

In the meantime, the little white dragon had grown somewhat as a result of the food he had been given and that he was now out of the egg.

Sirius approved of Ginny's choice of a name saying he remembered reading about Septimus Weasley as the Weasley's were related somewhat to the Blacks and that he had been an honorable man. Marrying someone from the Black family who were traditionally considered dark to someone from the Weasley family who were traditionally considered light would have been an enormous scandal decades earlier.

Septimus seemed to be aware of his name which pleased Ginny and she showed him the small silver marking on her palm which also gave Sirius cause to be curious.

"We will have to give the matter further consideration Ginny," her adoptive father said as they went up from the vault.

Ginny had insisted on keeping Septimus in her room and had not wanted to leave him down in the vault where it was dark. He would be growing quickly soon and she wanted to make certain that he would have adequate means with which to hunt and feed himself.

Other than Missandei however, Ginny was a little wary about the rest of the servants knowing about the existence of dragons. Sirius had eleven dragon eggs as well as a newly hatched dragon and though she knew the servants were fiercely loyal to him as he had bought them all and set them free she still had yet to broker such relationships.

In the meantime, she spent the morning with her door bolted and caring for the little white creature who seemed curious about absolutely everything. He couldn't breathe fire yet but small puffs of smoke would emanate from his nostrils every so often which gave Ginny great delight. At the moment he only drank the milk she had given him but in time the red head was sure he would be eating solid food and wondered how she was going to go about getting meat for him to eat.

A few days after the hatching of Septimus, Sirius talked Ginny into spending the day on one of his ships and they would spend a few days sailing about the Jade Sea.

It was said to be one of the most beautiful bodies of water in the known world and the weather was so warm and beautiful out that it didn't take Ginny very long to agree.

Missandei, who was the only one of the servants that Ginny trusted explicitly had been left with care instructions for Septimus as she was the only one who knew about the dragon and even she didn't know about the rest of the eggs. That was a carefully guarded secret.

The following morning after she agreed to spend the day with Sirius on the Jade Sea, the two of them apparated down the harbor where one of the ships waited.

Ginny stood on the dock in the sunshine and looked out at the tall proud ship that Sirius had named the Gryphon's Daughter. Its sails were a deep crimson and trimmed in gold to honor their old house colors. The hull of it was polished and it was several hundred yards long, one of the biggest ships she had ever seen.

The Jade Sea while also being of the most beautiful in the known world was also one of the calmest and the breezes were gentle enough to give them a speed on the water, but not so rough that it would blow them off course.

Ginny decided it would be a lovely way to spend some time with her adoptive father. She and Sirius hadn't had a lot of time to spend together as his work kept him very busy and she spent all of her time learning as much as she could about the new world that she lived in.

However, today Sirius seemed to be in a jovial mood and he insisted upon taking her out for a while on the boat.

When Ginny boarded the ship she had been singularly impressed. She had never been on a boat before and was very glad when Sirius slipped a potion for sea sickness into her hand as it wasn't something she was accustomed to.

He gave the orders to the captain to raise the anchor and cast off and before Ginny knew it, they were sailing out of Qarth into the Jade Sea.

She gazed over the side of the boat and down into the azure blue water which was brighter and more beautiful than anything she had seen before. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the breeze was cool enough to take the heat off of the very warm day. Ginny let it lift her long red hair off of her shoulders and raised her face to the sun closing her eyes so she could take in its warmth.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself."

Ginny looked up and smiled at her adoptive father who had joined her at the railing. "It's so beautiful here. I didn't think I would end up in a place this beautiful. It almost feels like I don't deserve it."

"Hey," Sirius said taking her hand. "You can't think like that. The rest of your family wouldn't want you to. You and me, we've been given a second chance. For nearly five years of my life here I've squandered it and treated it as if this were a joke and I were still in school. It wasn't until you got here Ginny that I began to realize the possibilities this life is offering us. But we need to reach out and take them."

Ginny squeezed his hand tighter. "I know. It's just a little hard sometimes being here in the lap of luxury when you know that the people you love are dead."

He pulled her into his arms and held her tight against him. "I know and sometimes I feel the same way. But though we need to remember them, we can't dwell on the past. Harry and all of the Weasleys and Remus and James and Lily wouldn't want us to."

Ginny wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and gave her adoptive father a watery smile. "I know. So instead of focusing on the past, how about we look towards the future. We still need to discuss our plans for what we're going to do about the free cities."

Sirius led her over to some of the chairs that had been set up on the deck for them and the two of them sat down.

"After all the research and studying I've been doing both into the realm of Essos and the realm of Westeros across the Narrow Sea, I've discovered a few things," Ginny went on, feeling a bit like Hermione with the way she was spouting facts.

"Go on."

"Both countries have one thing in common," Ginny said. "Though Westeros and Essos have noble families and their own private armies and bannermen who are loyal to them, Essos doesn't have much things. Loyalty is what binds the bannermen to families like the Starks and the Tyrells and the Lannisters. Here, the ties that bind are gold. You said it yourself that the Second Sons fight for gold and are only loyal to the highest. What if we gave them a reason to be loyal besides money?"

Sirius gestured for her to continue and she knew she had his attention. "I know you want to free every slave in this country but without a plan that idea will result in chaos and possibly a war the no one needs or wants. It seems that the people who will prove to be the most loyal are the ones who have nothing. Take care of the slave soldiers and the common children and single mothers and they will love you. Having people that love their rule is far more important than fear as it will keep you in power for a lifetime."

Sirius looked rather impressed. "Since when did you become such a politician Ginny?"

The red head smiled. "Being in a war has taught me that loyalty to one's side is everything and if you remove what makes the people loyal than chaos ensues."

"Alright," Sirius mused. "We need to obtain the loyalty of the people first before we put our plans into action. How do you propose we would go about doing that?"

Ginny paused for a moment before answering. While Qarth was a beautiful city, it was appallingly lacking in any public service. There were no such things as schools or hospitals as only the wealthy could afford that sort of luxury. Food was stockpiled for the rich and the corruption among the Thirteen ran rampant. Ginny was disgusted with the current regime and it needed to change.

"Father if you want people to love you as their ruler than you're going to have to start off by doing something for them first that's going to make them trust you and talk about you. Schools should be set up for the children here. If the people of this city have an opportunity to be educated than they will love you for it. If you're serious about conquering the Free Cities, we're going to have to start with one city at a time so we need to focus on cleaning up Qarth first."

"And who would teach in these schools?" Sirius asked. "There are maesters and healers in this city but they only work for gold just as the armies do."

Ginny smiled at him. "You have more than enough gold. Let it be known throughout the city that you wish to see all the learned men and bring them to the villa where you can meet with them and determined which would be the best as teachers for the children. I already know that Missandei would be an excellent teacher as she speaks a great many languages. It was why she was….employed by Kraznys in Astapor. She could teach the children their letters and how to read and write. I'm sure there will be some learned me in the city who could teach them mathematics and numbers. As long as you have those two things a world of possibilities will be open to them and then perhaps some of them could rise above their station. And they will love you all the more for their education because you were the one to give it to them."

Sirius was nodding, liking the idea. "And what about the Thirteen. I don't think they will like the idea."

"Who cares what they think?" Ginny spat. "It's not as if you're breaking a law and what you choose to do with your gold is your business. The only reason they might not like it is that with educated people questions will be asked about what it is they are doing for their city. In fact this may be a civil way to overthrow the Thirteen without ever lifting a sword."

She lowered her tone when she said that, casting her eyes about for any who might be eavesdropping. Sirius had men who were only loyal to him as he had been the one to set them free but Ginny knew she couldn't be too careful. After fighting in a war where there were numerous spies about she had become quite good at being suspicious.

"Where would be have the school?" Sirius asked as if he were getting on bored with the idea.

"We would simply need to expand the villa," Ginny suggested. "I'm sure there are rooms in it that you haven't even used and we could expand one of them with magic and have the school be in there until we can find a building to service our needs."

"I like it," Sirius mused. "And it would be no different than the paying processes for teachers or professors at home all they would require is gold to work and the outlet in which to do it. The curriculum would be simple at first and then as a children grew older we could start to teach them about history and politics."

"Exactly," Ginny said. "Your reputation would grow far and wide as a benevolent man and soon enough the people will be clamoring for you to lead Qarth. With an army from Astapor and the necessary people to build serviceable roads between here and the rest of the cities, this entire country could be ours within a matter of years."

"Now who sounds like the ambitious Slytherin?" Sirius asked smirking.

"I suppose I simply needed to the right person to inspire me," Ginny said smiling at her adoptive father.

Ω

Sirius and Ginny spent the next two days aboard the Gryphon's Daughter planning and coming up with plans to ensure the future of Qarth. Some ideas were shot down as they would be too complicated to implement, however the idea of having a government that was handpicked by Sirius to run the cities as he was off conquering the other cities of Essos was an idea that appealed to both father and daughter.

It was a time of relaxation for the both of them as they spoke about the future and their roles in this new life they had been given. Ginny had begun to feel the sadness slowly roll off of her in the last few days since she and Sirius had spent some quality time together and she began to realize that he was her family now.

Perhaps even more so than the treasured uncle she had considered him to be in England but perhaps even taking on the role of surrogate father. He was all she had left of her old life aside from her wand and she wasn't planning to let him go for anything.

During those two days Sirius taught her how to channel her magic without the use of a wand and they had practiced for a long time every day. Ginny had been relentless about it back in the villa but seeing how determined Sirius was to teach her, had Ginny even more driven to dive into her wandless magical instruction.

Her ambition seemed to be paying off as well. She was now capable of performing even more complicated spells such as summoning and conjuring items without the use of her wand. She had been practicing for two months and could now perform almost to her old ability with minimal fatigue.

She was pleased at how well she had taken to her new life and even more glad that little by little the sadness was fading.

When they docked back in Qarth, Ginny thanked Sirius for the two days as she had needed to smile more than she had been doing.

His answering grin was like sunshine.  
When they returned to the villa, Sirius quickly had the servants hurry about the city and send messages to all the learned men and scholars that he knew of. Sirius wasn't so much of a fool as to think that all of them would be ideal teachers for the school he and Ginny had in mind so he decided to give them a test.

He would pretend he was calling upon them to discuss a business proposal with regards to a school he was thinking of building for the children of the city. Charity work was uncommon in Qarth but not unheard of and depending on their thoughts on the issue, he would consider them as teachers for the school.

Ginny had already employed the use of Missandei as she was fluent in many languages and had taught herself to read and write while she was staying with Kraznys in Astapor.

In the meantime, Ginny decided to disguise herself and go about the city observing the governmental systems.

Because of her disillusionment charms, Ginny could wander into the houses of any of the Thirteen and observe the way the operated, what bribes they made and who they were in contact with.

It was a very Slytherin thing to do and yet Ginny realized in order to survive in Qarth and Essos in general it seemed one would have to be sly and sneaky. Sirius had become quite the Slytherin in the last ten years of his being here and so she had learned that the honorable way wasn't always the safest way. And so one had to be both honorable and shrewd in order to get what they wanted. She was somewhat surprised that there was a way of doing both.

The only place that the red head avoided as much as possible was the House of the Undying. The warlocks hadn't made any effort to speak to her since Xaro Daxos' gathering but Ginny remained wary of them all the same.

From anywhere in the city that she looked, she could see the beige colored tower of their meeting place rising high in the distance and she would always feel the hair on the back of her neck begin to rise.

There was something about that place that gave her the creeps. It was like the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic where she had had her last battle. The place screamed of danger but at the same time almost seemed to call to her to come to it.

Ginny has asked Sirius numerous times for information on the House of the Undying but seeing as he had never been there he couldn't tell her anything of worth. So she was left to speculate and wonder about what lay behind those walls and why the warlocks had seemed so interested in her.

As Ginny turned a street corner and was about to duck down an alleyway as a short cut away from the Spice King's house which she had been spying on, she heard an alarming sound.

It seemed like muffled cries of resistance and the red head instantly felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

It didn't sound like someone had fallen down or even as if someone were crying, no this was an alarming sound as if someone were being attacked and their mouth was being covered to keep their cries for help in.

Ginny pulled her dagger from her belt and cautiously crept down the alleyway toward the source of the noise. She didn't have a clue how to use the weapon but Sirius insisted she have something tangible to defend herself with and in time he would teach her how to fight with a blade. Magic was one thing, but in case of magical exhaustion it was always smart to have a backup plan.

She pulled the hood of her cloak more firmly over her fiery hair so her face was hidden in shadow.

There was a figure wreathed in shadow pushed up against the stone wall of a house and there was the sound of heavy breathing.

When Ginny focused closer however she noticed that there were two people not one and the one leaning against the wall was clearly male. He had shoved a smaller looking figure up against the stone wall and had a hand over its mouth even though Ginny could clearly hear the muffled cries the closer she got.

The man pushing the smaller figure, a woman she could now see against the wall had a hand under her skirt and the woman was struggling and fighting against him her eyes wide with terror though he held her fast.

He didn't appear to be in any state of disrobe so Ginny knew he hadn't succeeded in raping her which was a great relief.

But in that moment such rage overcame the red head as she had never known before. She hadn't felt that angry since she realized all of her family lay around her dead and she was the only one left. It was a like a burning searing passion in her blood that she felt if she didn't let it out it would consume her and she would explode. She wanted to obliterate the miserable excuse for a human being in front of her so badly that she could literally feel herself shaking with rage.

In that moment, she didn't care if she used magic in front of a muggle, all she knew was that this raping bastard had to die and she wanted him to suffer before she took his pathetic life.

Ginny shot out a hand and squeezed her fist shut, casting a nonverbal spell she had learned when she was still in school. It was one of strangulation that she had used on one of the Death Eaters and she had no qualms about using it again when it was necessary.

Immediately the man gasped and dropped the small figure from his arms who collapsed onto the ground. But Ginny didn't pay her any attention at the moment.

She strode forward and clenched her fist tighter as the spell cut off the air from the man's lungs. He was backed into the opposite wall of the alley, hands clasped about his throat as if he were choking and his face was quickly turning blue.

His eyes focused on her and he seemed to realize that she was behind the fact that he was dying and she was the reason. If possible his eyes bulged even bigger in his head and a feral snarl crossed Ginny's lips as she clenched her fist harder.

Peculiar squeaking sounds came from the man's throat and he couldn't even utter a name as there was so little air in his lungs.

Finally he stopped trying to gasp for air like a fish and slumped to the ground on the side of the alley.

Ginny felt a perverse sense of satisfaction watching his body crumple like a rag doll and knowing that she had prevented a horribly vile act from happening. Rapists were vile creatures as she knew that many of the so called purebloods back in England would have done the very same thing to helpless women.

She stared at his body for a moment making sure he wasn't just unconscious and would rise again before she turned to the terrified woman who was slumped against the opposite wall in shock from what had just happened.

Ginny lowered the hood of her cloak and started towards her. "Are you alright?"

The woman, a beautiful brunette with olive toned skin and honey colored eyes swallowed several times still staring at the body before looking up at her. "What….What did you do to him?"

"That's not important," Ginny said briskly. She knelt down in front of the other woman and looked her over. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. "I….I think so. You came upon us before he…..before he….."

She didn't seem to be able to find the words and Ginny nodded indicating that she didn't have to keep talking if it was too painful.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Vellaena," she said. "My father is the Spice King of Qarth."

Ginny blew out a breath, wondering how she was going to handle something like this. Her day had just become infinitely more complicated.

"How on earth did you come to be out here?" she asked.

"The market is not far," Vellaena said. "And I foolishly believed I would be safer surrounded by many people. The foolishness was almost my undoing."

Ginny looked at her carefully. She could tell that Vellaena was older than she was. Twenty five or twenty six perhaps. She wondered how it was that her husband had not been with her at the time of the incident and hesitantly gave voice to the question.

Vellaena looked ashamed. "I am unmarried. I have four older brothers and they received priority as they will be the ones to retain my father's seat should something happen to him. I had a husband but he died a few months ago and my father has been looking for someone to be a suitable husband for me."

It was then that she noted Ginny's fiery hair and sapphire blue eyes and her own golden ones widened. "You are Ginevra Gryffindor, Lord Sirius's daughter. What on earth are you doing out here?"

Ginny helped Vellaena to her feet and wrapped her arm around hers. There was strength in numbers and she wanted to get out of the alley as soon as possible before someone came upon them and noticed the body.

When they had emerged back into the sunlight of the marketplace, Vellaena relaxed and Ginny decided to take her the roundabout way back to the Spice King's house.

She could feel the Quartheen woman's eyes on her and could sense her curiosity past her fear of what had happened. But magic wasn't something Ginny was planning on explaining today. Vellaena seemed nice but Ginny didn't really know her and she had a feeling the other woman wouldn't ask about what she had seen unless Ginny volunteered the information. After all it wasn't like someone would believe her if she talked about it.

The two of them walked for around an hour making small conversation and Ginny decided to feel the other woman out. She seemed to be very gentle and had a personality similar to Hermione when she was caring for her friends. She also seemed to be very intelligent and patient and after a while Ginny began to wonder if she had unexpectedly stumbled upon an opportunity that she might never have had.

Vellaena seemed filled with love for Qarth but sad at the many children who ran about the streets without food or shelter or clothes.

After spending several hours together, Ginny began to pick up a few things about her new friend.

She was surprisingly resilient given what had almost happened to her and even though she was a quiet person she didn't seem to shy away from her convictions and Ginny could see the fire in her eyes as she spoke of her convictions and how she wanted to better the city that she lived in. She deflated a bit when she told Ginny how her father never really took what she had to say into account because she was a woman.

That was something about this country that made Ginny burn with anger. Women had no rights here. There wasn't a sort of policing happening for crimes and even if there was, the men who provided the service could be easily bought.

Women being raped was a common thing and there were very few career options for them other than being a good wife and a good mother.

Though Ginny had nothing against those two things, her own mother had been both of them, she believed that there should be more options afforded to women. In order for this city and all the rest of the ones in Essos which she heard weren't much better people needed to be dragged out of the dark ages.

She and Sirius were taking steps in that direction but they were going to need more help to make it possible and if her adoptive father was going to rule this country as its king than he would need good people around him that he could trust.

Possible people like Vellaena.

So instead, she decided to direct the conversation elsewhere as an idea had just popped into her head.

"Vellaena….before you were married, was there anything you liked to do? A hobby perhaps?" Ginny asked. "It doesn't matter if it was painting, drawing, singing, dancing or reading? I'm curious as to what a daughter of the Spice King does in her spare time."

Vellaena was quiet for a moment before she gave the red head a soft smile. "My brothers have many children and they almost always sought me out in the past when they wanted something. Whether it was to read to them or take them for walks or comfort them when they were afraid, it didn't matter. And I loved being there for them."

Ginny felt a triumphant smirk grace her face. "Suppose I were to tell you that there is a way to put that passion, that desire to help people, children even into action and make some money doing it."

Vellaena looked at her as if she were insane. "Only a maester would have that sort of ability or influence to teach. I'm not at all highly educated. I know how to read and write and I know some numbers but that's really all – "

Ginny held up a hand to stop her. "I'm not looking for someone with several decades of study or even several years. My father and I wish to do something to help the people of this city since it seems that no one else is going to. And the first step is through education. We want to take the children of this city and give them opportunities that they might not otherwise have. And since you love children and you like to teach I think you would be an ideal candidate for that."

Vellaena looked overwhelmed. "Do you truly think so Ginevra?"

"I do," the red head said confidently. "In fact this very moment my father is meeting with several members of this city who might be ideal to teach the children. What's say we go and meet him right now? I have a feeling he will like this idea of mine."

"What makes you so certain?" Vellaena asked as they walked back through the streets of Qarth heading for the Villa.

"I know Lord Gryffindor very well," Ginny said with a smirk on her face. "And we are of the same mind."

Ω

As it turned out, Ginny was right. Sirius had chosen two other learned men of the city who were not so arrogant that they couldn't see past their own noses and upon meeting Vellaena he agreed that she would be perfect as well.

Ginny didn't seem to miss the fact that Vellaena seemed to become a blushing maiden around Sirius and she also didn't miss the softening in her adoptive father's eyes when he looked at her.

 _Perhaps that's something that needs to be followed up on later,_ she thought to herself. _Sirius has been alone for far too long. It's past time he meet someone to love and share his life with. Merlin knows he never got that in England._

In the meantime, preparations began to go ahead with the school that Ginny and Sirius were seeking to build.

With the help of a little magic, they were able to expand a section of the villa into an adequate classroom and Sirius chose some of his most trusted servants to go throughout the city and speak into the ears of those who would spread the news all across the streets.

Later that evening the two of them, father and daughter were walking along the shores in front of the villa arm in arm.

"I can't believe how fast it's all coming together," Sirius mused though it was more to himself than to Ginny and she smiled. "I'm not. People in this city are desperate for a change and we're going to be the ones to give it to them. This isn't a democracy but we're going to ensure that people are given more of a choice. And this is going to be the civil way to wrest power from the Thirteen. The people are going to be calling for you to run this city before long and news of this is going to spread to the other Free Cities. This next time year we could be looking at a completely different Qarth."

Sirius threw back his head and uttered a deep laugh. "Your optimism is refreshing Ginny. I hope a day doesn't go by where I don't hear it."

They walked in silence for a while before the former Gryffindor turned to her. "How have you been feeling lately? I know you've only been in Qarth for two months but this whole world, this new life can take some getting used to."

Ginny thought about it for a moment. "I feel like I've been doing better. Helping plan for the school has been a big help and I'm slowly beginning to feel as if I am fitting in here.

Obviously some things need to change like the appalling lack of public services but it's been helpful to take my mind off of…..everything that's happened."

Sirius nodded and smiled. "I know that there's a big adjustment period in this place but don't worry it's something you'll become used to. Now in the meantime, how is Septimus?"

Ginny smiled as she thought of the small white dragon. He was now staying in a cage in her room and the two had become inseparable. Septimus even though he was still quite small seemed to be able to sense her moods and when she was feeling down or even overcome with memories of the past, he always seemed to be there to try and comfort her.  
The red head couldn't deny that she had developed a special bond with the small creature and there were times when feeding him had proved to be quite fun. Septimus was a picky dragon and wouldn't eat anything unless it was first cooked so Ginny had become quite used to putting small pieces of meat in front of him and trying to coax him to breathe fire so he could cook them.

The Valyrian word for fire was _dracarys_ and since Ginny did have some old Valyrian blood in her veins from Godric's relations she felt justified in using it to try and teach Septimus how to breathe fire.

She had spent many an evening out on her balcony with the small creature on the railing and a piece of meat in front of him.

So far he had only been able to blow puffs of black smoke from his mouth but he was learning and it served as a means to make him more independent in the future.

Something else Ginny was learning was that as a result of her connection with him and the magic she possessed, she could also peer into the dragon's mind. She could see his instincts and when he was afraid and when he was angry and when he was happy and being privy to such things was sometimes overwhelming because she had never had such a unique connection before.

Ginny had also learned that she could use Legilimency to look into Septimus's mind and calm him with it. This would prove to be even more useful when the dragon grew bigger and older nad she would have more trouble controlling him.

 _Merlin, I wonder if this is how it's going to be with all the other dragons when Sirius and I inevitably hatch them,_ Ginny wondered to herself. _Thank god for magic as it's going to make things that much easier._

"Sirius, I suppose I should ask this now as it seems that our plans are finally underway but when are we going to go to Astapor? I don't want to count our eggs before they're hatched but if we want to be the ones to bring the Free Cities to heel it's going to take some time to do."

Now this was the tricky part. The Thirteen had governed Qarth long before Sirius ever came to Essos and both Gryffindors did not want to stage a coup to get what they wanted as that would make them no better than the masters.

The best approach they had was to go about it civilly and hope that the ones who would get the ball rolling were the common folk.

Once the school was up and running, Sirius planned on enlisting the help of several maesters and healers within the city as well as purchasing an unused building to convert into a hospital. Ginny had always had a penchant for healing charms in fact it was what started her friendship with her best friend Luna Lovegood and so she had been working feverishly on medicines and potions that could be given to the poor.

The recipes for these were a carefully guarded secret however because she didn't want them falling into the wrong hands.

Sirius was carefully consulting with only those healers that he trusted. Some of them were simply former slaves that he had freed who had a desire to help the people of this city, others were those who were employed by some of the wealthier members of Qarth but wanted to serve a larger purpose.

Ginny was slowly beginning to realize that Qarth wasn't only full of the cruel the heartless, the greedy and the beaten down. It had an underside of people who did care but were either too scared to or just needed the opportunity to be able to do so like Vellaena.

 _Maybe this won't be so bad after all,_ she thought as she went to bed that night. _I'm slowly beginning to think of this world as my home. I have family here and I'm making new friends as well. I'm able to do some good here and maybe just maybe I'll be able to find some peace as well._

Ω

Unfortunately, Ginny's dreams that night were nothing but peaceful.

 _When she opened her eyes again, she was standing in a long hallway made completely of stone.  
_

 _There was a torch in her hand that was burning brightly but it didn't cast much of a range and Ginny could see she had a long dark walk ahead of her.  
_

 _She turned around but found that at her back there was only a stone wall. She felt around for some type of door or handle but there was nothing and she swallowed hard, trying to remind herself not to panic.  
_

 _Something told her that the only way out was to go forward, so after hesitating and wrestling with herself for a long moment, the red head took a deep breath and began to hesitantly walk down the stone hallway.  
_

 _Her footsteps echoed loudly on the stones and Ginny kept looking constantly around for any sign of a hidden foe.  
_

 _The heat of her torch blazed near her ear and she hesitantly held it away from herself.  
_

 _The last thing she wanted to do was call out to see if anyone was around because there was something about this place that just screamed unfriendly.  
_

 _Ginny swallowed hard and focused on her breathing as she continued walking down the hall towards her unknown destination.  
_

 _After about five minutes she felt herself frown._ How long does this go on for? _  
_

 _It was also very hot where she was and even though she knew it hadn't been long, it felt as if she had been down there for hours.  
_

 _There was no other light but the one she was holding in her hand and Ginny knew she would have to be extremely cautious.  
_

 _She remembered her magic just then and breathed a sigh of relief when she knew she would at least have that to defend herself with.  
_

 _She continued walking, a little more boldly this time and upon looking up Ginny noted with surprise that there was a dim light coming into focus up ahead of her.  
_

 _Feeling relieved, she quickened her pace and hurried towards the source, her footsteps echoing loudly.  
_

 _When she finally reached the source of the light, Ginny found herself in a doorway leading into another room. It was completely circular and made of stone just like the hallway she had come from. There was a strange stone altar in the middle of it shaped like an octagon and when she looked opposite her, she could see that there were seven other doors scattered throughout the room. They were all identical and there was nothing on any of them indicating that this was her way out.  
_

 _For a moment, Ginny felt angry. She was being toyed with and she didn't know by whom.  
_

 _Stubbornly she stood in the doorway for a few minutes refusing to move. She didn't know what was behind those other doors and she certainly didn't want to try and find out.  
_

 _What if something horrible was waiting for her?  
_

 _What if it was just another hallway with another room and another set of doors and she was trapped here forever?  
_

 _What if she never got out?_

There's only one way you're going to find out for certain, _said a small voice inside of her._ Open one of those doors and go through it. If you don't you're still going to be stuck here forever. _  
_

 _Ginny took a deep breath, knowing that whoever was talking they were right.  
_

 _So without even thinking about it, she strode into the room, past the altar and to the door directly opposite the one she had just came from.  
_

 _She grasped the handle of it and after only a moment's hesitation, the red head tightened her grip and yanked it open.  
_

 _A breath of cold wind greeted her on the other side and for a moment she felt jubilation, thinking she was free.  
_

 _It was only when she stepped through and pulled the door shut behind her that she realized she was only in another room.  
_

 _Except this time it wasn't connected to another long hallway with another set of doors at the end.  
_

 _Ginny felt her eyes widen as she was standing in a magnificent throne room.  
_

 _It was as large as the Great Hall of Hogwarts and seemed twice as grand with its enormous pillars and grated braziers.  
_

 _It must have looked even more magnificent when it was in its heyday.  
_

 _Now it was only a ruin.  
_

 _As Ginny looked around, she could tell that something horrible had happened in this place. There was not a living soul anywhere though she had a feeling this throne room had once been filled with people.  
_

 _It appeared to be the former place of a great court within a great kingdom.  
_

 _As she looked around, she took note of the massive structure and the high arched ceilings. There was a window at the other end whose glass was stained and fashioned into the effigy of a seven pointed star.  
_

 _It was situated right above a raised dais and upon that dais there was a throne.  
_

 _Some might call it magnificent, but to Ginny it looked rather ugly.  
_

 _She slowly walked down from the steps on where she was standing to the side of the room and walked into the middle of the former court.  
_

 _The pillars that lined the sides of the room were massive but they also looked bone white and as Ginny looked around she could tell that everything in the room was covered in a blanket of white.  
_

 _She looked up and realized right away why it was so cold in here.  
_

 _The entire roof of the throne room had been torn open and there were gaping holes in the ceiling as if some monster had swooped down, taken hold of the roof in its talons or claws and rent it in two.  
_

 _For a moment, Ginny wondered if a dragon had performed such a feat. It would have to have been a fully grown one several decades old at least in order to do such a great show of strength. But it seemed that that was the only way possible. It also gave rise to why it was so cold in the room.  
_

 _Falling through the roof and coating every surrounding surface in a blanket of white was a thick layer of fresh fallen snow.  
_

 _It was silently coming down around her and landing on Ginny's fiery locks, also coating her in white.  
_

How on earth is it snowing this far south? _Ginny wondered to herself.  
_

 _She returned her gaze to the chair at the end of the room and tried to focus on it rather than on how cold she was becoming._

 _Slowly the red head walked toward it and the closer she became she was more and more aware of how ugly it was.  
_

 _She had never seen such a hideous looking chair in her life. It appeared to be made of a collection of melted down swords and appeared very uncomfortable. The blades of the_ _swords formed the back of the chair and were sharpened to points which made her imagine that someone might just as easily cut themselves on this chair as sit in it._

 _It was clearly a throne for that of a conqueror. Ginny imagined that whoever had first fashioned this seat had taken all the swords of his enemies and melted them down to form a chair for himself that everyone might remember. It was clearly more a symbol than a throne and Ginny imagined this piece of décor would serve as a reminder to everyone who looked on it that whoever had sat on this chair was someone to be feared and obeyed because of what they had done to their enemies._

 _But now it was empty….empty, cold and dead.  
_

What happened here? _Ginny wondered to herself, forgetting for the moment that she was trying to seek her own way out of this strange place.  
_

 _She walked closer to the throne and up the steps until she was standing at the top of the dais before the very throne itself.  
_

 _It was even uglier and more grotesque up close but Ginny had a feeling that what she was seeing in this room was only the aftermath of a great battle that had taken place for_ _it and what she was seeing was the devastating effects of what a loss meant._

 _In a way it almost reminded her of the way that Hogwarts might look if Voldemort had survived the final battle and decided to make Hogwarts the seat of his rule.  
_

 _Or perhaps this was the way it would look if everyone good and bad had died in that battle.  
_

 _There were no bodies on the floor of this throne room but she could just imagine them lying there, strewn about in the positions they were in before they died.  
_

 _She shivered again and this time it wasn't from the cold.  
_

Why am I seeing this? _She wondered to herself._ It obviously seems like this is extremely import but I have no idea why I am seeing it. _  
_

_She took a step closer to the throne and hesitantly reached out a hand towards it, wondering for a moment what it would be like to sit in that chair.  
_

 _It had no sooner crossed her mind when sitting down on the throne became suddenly infinitely more appealing and Ginny began to feel a strong pull towards it.  
_

 _She took another step until she was within touching distance of the throne if she would just reach out her hand towards it.  
_

 _As if in a trance, Ginny slowly raised her hand to do so and was stopped only when she heard a sound behind her.  
_

 _It was almost like a high pitched screech although she knew it hadn't come from any dragon.  
_

 _A cold feeling settled in the pit of her stomach and Ginny swallowed hard before turning away from the throne to face the sound of the noise.  
_

 _When she did so, a hand flew to her mouth to stifle her scream.  
_

 _Standing a few feet behind her was a creature straight out of her nightmares. It was taller than she was and appeared to have skin made of glass or ice although given where she was ice seemed more appropriate. Its cold features were chiseled into an expression of utter malice and Ginny could feel the depth of its hatred.  
_

 _It had no hair although there appeared to be an odd version of a crown on its head but the spires of said crown seemed to be coming right out of its forehead, making Ginny shudder in disgust.  
_

 _It's eyes were the most icy blue she had ever seen and much lighter than her own sapphire orbs. They stared at her unblinkingly and it took a step towards her.  
_

 _Ginny backed up until she was against the throne itself and the torch fell from her trembling fingers.  
_

 _The creature issued another screech from its horrible mouth and moved closer until it as standing right in front of her.  
_

 _It reached out a hand as if to touch her and Ginny held her breath.  
_

 _Just then she heard a clanging sound from nearby and she opened her eyes to see a twinkling of silver behind her on the throne.  
_

 _It was the sword of Gryffindor.  
_

 _And it wasn't the one she had seen Neville pull out of the hat at Hogwarts either. This was the one that had been encased in glass beneath Sirius's villa in the vault. It seemed to shine silver in the grey light and the rubies in the pommel seemed as dark as blood.  
_

 _Without even thinking Ginny reached behind her, seized the sword and drove it through the creature's torso with all of her might.  
_

 _There was a long pause as the monster looked down at its chest and seemed to realize what had happened. The moment this occurred however, the monster itself shattered into a million pieces as if it were made of glass.  
_

 _Ginny was standing there with the Valyrian steel great sword in her hand and breathing hard as if she had just run a marathon.  
_

What the bloody hell was that?!

 _She glanced down at the sword, expecting to see ice forming on it, but it appeared as unblemished as when she had seen it the first time.  
_

 _She could only ponder why this particular sword had chosen to appear to her now. The name of Godric Gryffindor was still etched into the hilt of the blade beside his son Edric's and unless it was Ginny's imagination, the words seemed to shine even brighter than before, making her feel a little better.  
_

I have to get out of here.

 _All of a sudden, she heard another familiar screech and her blood ran cold.  
_

 _The red head looked up from the sword to see that whatever that creature was, it must have had friends because rising from the piles all around the room were dozens of the_ _things. They all had peculiar swords that looked to be made of glass in their hands and their ice blue eyes were all fixed on her._

 _Ginny gripped the sword tightly in her hands, wondering if this was the moment she was going to die…..in an ancient throne room surrounded by ice monsters when all of a sudden, there was a terrifying roar and a thundering crash from above.  
_

 _Ginny shielded her arms with her head held them there for a few seconds before she realized that the rest of the roof wasn't about to cave in and hesitantly looked up.  
_

 _And gasped.  
_

 _There was a fully grown dragon in the room standing just in front of her. It's wings were raised in a defensive position and its enormous maw was open, razor sharp fangs_ _gleaming._

 _It uttered another terrifying roar and Ginny was able to ascertain the white scales and pearl wings.  
_

 _"Septimus?" she whispered.  
_

 _The dragon turned to her as if it understood its name and fixed her with one of its large golden eyes.  
_

 _And then it turned around and released a torrent of fire upon the ice monsters that had slowly backed away upon seeing the dragon.  
_

 _The blaze of fire was so bright and so hot that Ginny forced herself to look away as it engulfed the entire room in a whirlwind of light that was so bright she feared she would go blind._

And that was when Ginny flew up from her bed gasping for breath, with a terrible feeling of dread her stomach.

Something awful was coming and she had a feeling she was going to be in for the fight of her life.

Ω

 **So I realize that this chapter was a bit of a filler, but it was necessary. Next chapter we see the appearance of the warlocks again as they are going to play an integral role for the next little while and we finally get to see why they are so interested in Ginny. Sirius's plans for world domination continue in the next one and it won't be long before we arrive in Astapor with Ginny and Sirius to strike a bargain for a very familiar group of soldiers. Thank you to everyone who has favorited and followed this story. Please continue to do so. Don't forget to review and enjoy!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Ginny's bizarre dream followed her around for a week after it occurred. Thankfully she hadn't had it again, but it was so vivid and so bizarre and so real and tangible that she just couldn't ignore it.

The face of the monster in her dream had been more terrible than anything she had ever seen and she had seen a lot of monsters.

It looked like a reanimated body which had been covered with ice and given blue gem stones for eyes. Its hand that had reached out towards her had been bony and devoid of flesh and she had shied away from it until she was backed against the throne.

When the sword had appeared behind her, she hadn't hesitated to seize it and run it through the monster's chest.

The blade made of sunsteel had appeared to melt the creature on contact as if the sword itself was engulfed in invisible flames.

Ginny pondered the symbolism of that for a very long time as she was sure that it was significant.

She had heard of the Long Night in the many books she had read but according to legend it had happened thousands of years ago in the Age of Heroes before the Andals came and conquered Westeros across the Narrow Sea.

It was an event that gave her chills even reading about it and once she had finished reading the legend of the sword that had been used to end it all, she had shut the book and not looked at it again.

And now all of a sudden she was getting prophetic dreams about a destroyed kingdom and the return of ice monsters and reanimated corpses. It was enough to make her want to bury her face in her pillow and scream at the confusion that it had all brought her.

In the meantime, the school Sirius and she had advocated for had finally been opened and around a dozen children had shown up. Missandei and Vellaena were in charge of teaching them to read along with their letters and numbers and things seemed to be going well for the most part.

Sirius had privately told her that the Thirteen weren't very happy about the fact that he was choosing to educate the lesser people of the city. But since he wasn't breaking any law they couldn't stop him.

"They fear a threat to their power," her adoptive father told her that evening. "You were right Ginny, if they fear the power of the people than they are afraid of what might happen should educated people begin to trust them. They were already wary of me before you came but now that you are here it has made them twice as cautious."

"Why should they fear me?" Ginny asked as they sat on the terrace taking their supper as the sun went down.

Sirius smiled at her. "You really have no idea the effect your presence has when you walk in a room do you?"

Ginny blinked at him. "What on earth are you talking about?"

He chuckled. "When we arrived at the gathering at Xaro Daxos's residence you were the center of attention, Lord Gryffindor's mysterious daughter newly arrived from Volantis under somewhat suspicious circumstances. You were a mystery, an anomaly that the people here haven't seen and so you commanded attention. I suspect that was what made the warlocks so curious about you."

"Really?" Ginny asked raising an eyebrow. "It had nothing to do with the fact that I have magic and they were curious about my abilities?"

"I very much doubt that."

"But you don't know for sure," Ginny pointed out. "Daxos said that the Shade of the Evening they drink turns their minds soft but the one thing I've learned about magic users is that they're very devious and very underhanded to get what they want, you being the perfect example. You told me that the warlocks are still spoken of with fear and respect so in order to keep a reputation like that you would need to have some form of power. They might still be able to perform magic, but because of some unknown thing their power is weakening."

Sirius nodded. "Or you could be overreacting about all of this."

Ginny sighed. "The one thing I learned in the war is to consider everything and everyone a threat. If you don't it may cost you something you don't want to lose. You and I both know what that's like."

Sirius fell silent and at once Ginny felt bad for reminding him of everything that he had lost. She opened her mouth to apologize but was stopped when her adoptive father held up his hand, indicating that he would like to speak first.

"You're right," he said causing Ginny to blink with surprise. "Perhaps I've been in the lap of luxury in Qarth for so long it has made me lax in being aware of what's going on around me. We should keep more vigil."

Ginny nodded and then went on to tell him how the first week of the school had been going. A dozen children had shown up at the gates outside of the villa and had stood around nervously until one of them had worked up the courage to tell one of the guards why they were there.

After that, they were ushered into the room that had been set aside for their classroom. Ginny and Sirius had managed to conjure desks for all of them out of pieces of wood they had found down on the beach.

After conjuring a chalkboard as well, Ginny and Sirius gave Missandei and Vellaena full run of the classroom. The children were boiling over with their desire to learn.

Truthfully, Ginny didn't think that this many would come given the amount of suspicion the poor placed on the rich in Qarth.

But apparently desperation was stronger than suspicion and the children went home chattering about the numbers and letters they had learned and written and promising to come back the next day ready to learn.

Ginny was rather shocked at how well everything had gone and Sirius had worn a smirk on his face all day as the only means to convey his own glee.

In the meantime, Ginny was spending her evenings with Septimus as he gradually grew bigger. His fire breathing ability was developing so now instead of little puffs of black smoke coming out of his mouth and nostrils he could now breathe fire in short bursts and was capable of blackening his own meat. Ginny was pleased because this meant he could now feed himself and survive on his own were something to happen to her.

Aside from the bizarre dream she had had, things seemed to be going well. Her dragon was growing and Sirius plans for the conquest of Essos had been put into motion, at least the civil part of it was.

She had heard talk throughout the streets in the past week that Lord Gryffindor was a benevolent man who would open his home to children to try and educate them.

His benevolence was something that Ginny was trying to play up because if they wanted to change Qarth, they were going to have to do so from the inside out.

"And speaking of being more vigil," she said casually as she took a sip of her wine. "You've been keeping an awfully close eye on Vellaena lately."

To his credit, Sirius just winked at her. He had always been a trickster and a mischievous man when they were both in England and had always had a smooth way of dealing with ladies and that seemed to be no less different here.

Ginny had observed the way Vellaena would always blush when Sirius walked into the classroom to check on the proceedings and sooner or later the children would begin to notice it as well.

She smiled at the thought. If there was anyone who deserved to find happiness it was Sirius. He had worked so hard and fought for so long to carve out a life for himself in this harsh place that she hoped he would be able to have every happiness from then on.

If that included Vellaena, than she certainly wasn't going to stand in his way.

"She's a beautiful intelligent woman," Sirius said with a small smirk. "Any man would be drawn to her."

"Hmm, does that include you?" Ginny asked teasingly.

Sirius just smiled at her.

It had shocked Ginny when she had first arrived in Qarth that her adoptive father remained unmarried.

He had been somewhat of a Casanova when he was younger so she hadn't expected him to settle down for a while.

But that was before he died.

She would have thought in a place where he had no more family and no more friends, he would have done everything to seek comfort in a woman's arms.

But he was still alone and that concerned her a little.

So she reached out and took his hand. "I don't want you to think that you have to deny yourself happiness on account of anything, even me. I'm not arrogant enough to think that I'm the reason you hold off on looking for a wife, but may I ask why you're doing so?"

For a moment Sirius was quiet.

Then he released a deep sigh that seemed to come from the bottom of his feet all the way to his chest.

"Ginny when I got here, I felt more alone than when I served thirteen years in Azkaban for a crime I didn't commit. The only way I survived was by hardening myself to anything and just going after what I wanted. I did it for so long…..I'm afraid I'm quite sure how to love anymore."

"That's not true," the red head said fiercely. "The amount of love you've shown me when I got here has been overwhelming. It's like you've become my second father since I came to Qarth and I refuse to let you think that you can get away from your happiness simply because you've closed yourself off a bit. Now that happiness might not be

Vellaena, it might be someone else, but don't close yourself up just because you don't think you can feel."

"That's not entirely true," Sirius said quietly. "You've been like a daughter to me these past few months Ginny and you've given me more happiness than I thought I had any right to have."

The red head flushed slightly at his words but smiled with pleasure all the same.

They had given each other a unique brand of happiness in the last few months and it was something she wouldn't part with for the world. And now they truly were in a sense becoming father and daughter and having a right to happiness that they wouldn't be able to have if they were still in England.

When Ginny retired to her room that evening, she was feeling wonderfully satisfied with however everything was going. She had a father figure back in her life and though she would never forget or stop loving Arthur Weasley, Sirius had become like a second father to her. He protected and loved her the way a father should and together the two of them were doing great things.

Septimus seemed quite eager to see her. She had kept him warded in her room all day until he would get bigger in a makeshift cage she had conjured.

He seemed content to lie there for the time being but after a while as the sunshine and the warm breeze from the sea drifted in to the cage, he wanted to stretch his wings and began to grow restless.

While he was small, he seemed content to sit on Ginny's shoulder, his snout nuzzling her face every so often. He had been a great comfort to her in the last few weeks since he had hatched and Ginny was very relieved for his nearness.

She had discovered in the past few weeks that dragons had a deep seated connection to magic and she had been exploring that link.

It had shocked her when the first time she had touched the head of Septimus she felt a tingling like ice water in her veins that lasted for a few seconds before it went away and the palm of her hand tingled. The small dragon seemed to be aware of the connection as well because he fixed his large clean blue eyes on her for a moment before he was distracted by something again.

For there, Ginny had attempted a spell of the mind and using Legilimency had been able to see into the caverns of Septimus' consciousness. He had a mind made only up of instincts so far and he couldn't communicate with her other than through a series of images. She could read when he was hungry, when he was tired, when he was irritated or any other instinct he might be feeling at the time.

He also seemed to associate her with his mother as she was the one who primarily brought him food until he was old enough to take care of himself. She noted whenever she looked into his mind that he associated each emotion with a certain color. When he was angry, the images she saw were colored with black tones, when he was hungry they were a very pale brown. When he was tired they were a deep grey like a soft cloud and when he was happy the images were a burnished golden color.

Most of those images included her which made Ginny feel very pleased.

But inwardly she was also glad that Septimus was the only dragon that had hatched as of yet because it was going to be a challenge using her magic to ensure that the beasts didn't do something crazy.

She could imagine that Septimus was going to grow into an enormous creature given a few years and then it would be impossible to hide his presence.

Hopefully by then, she and Sirius would have conquered at least Qarth and they would have the might of the dragons behind them.

Personally Ginny thought that the Thirteen needed to go and it was about time for some reform in this city.

Sirius would bring about change and with the end of the slave trade they would see a new era in Essos.

Now that the school was up and running, Ginny decided it was about time coming up with ideas for the new hospital she and Sirius were planning to build. He had already been speaking with several maesters who didn't have a stick wedged completely up their arses with arrogance and they had been eager to put their skills to good use as well. There were also several healers, most of whom were female and who had been stifled by the patriarchal society they were living in.

Most of those healers and maesters served the wealthier families in Qarth because they could afford to pay them. That was another aspect that angered Ginny, the amount of greed in the city.

Maesters for the most part were employed by the Thirteen to see to the needs of their own family and their prices were so expensive that the small folk had no hope of affording them.

Ginny was going to change that.

Sirius had enough money to employ several maesters and healers quite comfortably so until the economy of the Free Cities morphed into something else, this was a makeshift deal.

As she watched Septimus feed on the meat she had brought him up from the kitchen, smiling as he blackened the meat with his weak flames and devoured it as soon as it was properly charred.

She leaned against the balcony of her chambers, Ginny took in the moonlight and the stars on the water and she began to wonder what her family would think if they could see her now.

No doubt Fred and George would pass out from the sheer amount of wealth that surrounded her and Percy would go completely crazy when he saw the library and would want to spend the next several years in their reading about the new world she lived in.

 _Mum certainly would have a good deal to say about this place,_ Ginny thought bitter sweetly as she remembered and mused over memories of her family.

Harry and Hermione would have a lot to say as well, Harry would immediately want to go exploring the city and Hermione would ensconce herself in the library with Percy.

Harry would no doubt feel at peace here as there was no prophecy to dog his footsteps and no dark lord to have a vendetta against. He would be free here and it wouldn't matter that he had magic or been raised by Muggles or anything else.

That was one thing Ginny loved about Qarth, the anonymity. No one would ever belittle her for being poor ever again. She was used to getting hand me down books and robes as well as all of her potions kits and supplies but it wasn't until she had come here and seen the amount of wealth and power that her adoptive father truly had that she began to realize that sometimes having money was a good thing because of all the wonderful things one could accomplish with it.

It had only been a week since the school had opened its doors for Qarth's children but already the small folk were beginning to mutter about the benevolence of Lord Gryffindor and that he had the interests of the poor at heart which was more than anyone could say about the rest of the people governing the city.

Ginny smirked as she thought of what the old bastards who ran Qarth were thinking when they heard people whispering about the kindness of Lord Gryffindor and his daughter Ginevra and how they truly cared for the people when no one else would.

It felt good to invest her time in helping people here. Ginny had been so determined simply to survive during the war that she had forgotten what it was to be truly happy and she decided she had spent so much time locked in her own grief about what had happened in the past that she had gone too long without having a life of her own.

 _Mum and Dad would want me to start living. I won't waste the life they've given me or the second chance I've been offered._

By this time, Septimus had finished eating and was looking at her with a rather puzzled look on his little scaled face as if he sensed her preoccupation with her own thoughts.

"I'm alright little one," she said gently. "Why don't you go and fly for a bit and stretch your wings? I don't think there is anyone out at sea at this time so you shouldn't be seen."

The dragon seemed to contemplate her words for a moment before he raised his still small wings and flew off into the knight.

He was no larger than her arm now and becoming independent but no matter where he went at night he would always be there before she went to sleep and hop back into his cage.

As Ginny watched him fly away, she had a distinct feeling she was going to have need of him before long.

Her dream from a few days earlier drifted back into her mind and she shivered as if remembering the cold in that desolate throne room.

Winter was one thing she never had to worry about again living in Qarth as Essos was a land of perpetual summer. In Westeros across the sea, they would receive winter sometimes in the south but it was nowhere near as harsh as it was up by the Wall.

Ginny had spent a lot of time lately thinking about that wall as she knew what the creatures were that plagued her dreams.

Long ago during the age of the First Men before the Andals came a terror came from the north, an army with legions of ice like white monsters with azure blue eyes even brighter than her own sapphire ones and it had marched south, freezing all in its wake. Those the monsters killed they reanimated to do their bidding.

So it was essentially an army of the undead looking to hold the world in its thrall.

The First Men and the Children of the Forest had banded together to beat back the White Walkers into the north and then they had erected the Wall using strong magic that was unknown to the men of today.

It had been called the War for the Dawn and was so aptly named as men had fought and died bravely in that Long Night.

They had then established the Night's Watch, men who would abandon their homes, take no lands or wives and father no children until the day they died in service to the realm.

Sirius's contacts across the Narrow Sea in Westeros had informed him that the Night's Watch was failing and nothing more than a glorified penal colony for the worst the realm had to offer. There were murderers and rapists and cowards who were housed there now and the once noble order had become a laughingstock.

Ginny herself had been irritated when she heard this as there seemed to be many northern men of Westeros who had joined the order, believing in its cause as a means of keeping the realm safe and now they were disgraced.

There were only a few things that could kill a White Walker, Valyrian steel and dragon fire both of which she and Sirius had.

 _You don't honestly think those horrible creatures are going to make a return after all this time do you?_ A small voice inside of her asked.  
 _I don't know what's going to happen,_ Ginny thought as she leaned on the railing of her balcony and stared out into the night. _But I can't help but think I had that dream for a reason. Whether the Walkers come back or not there will be a time coming when some sort of reckoning will be had for this world. And I won't see it destroyed like my own was._

Ω

Thankfully the rest of her week was blessedly dream free and Ginny focused her attention on the children and helping Missandei and Vellaena teach them how to read.

In the afternoon, when their work with numbers and letters was completed, the girls and boy would be separated into different groups and Missandei and Vellaena would teach the girls how to use a needle and sew cloth so that they might have some livelihood for themselves. One of the maesters that Sirius had employed by the name of maester

Caiaphas would teach the boys about healing and other practical things needed to run a household. He was a kind man and still relatively young to be a maester. But being the fourth son of one of the extended branches of the Hightower family he had chosen to go to Essos and seek for ways that he could help people. His brothers were all lesser lords and knights serving the realm but he had chosen to serve the people of a different land.

Having no wife or children he decided to invest his time in helping others and when he had heard about what Sirius was planning to do he was the first to arrive at the villa and go through the screening process that Sirius had set up.

Caiaphas seemed most happy when he was surrounded by children however despite the fact that he had never been a father and had no plans to.

He taught the boys how to work with their hands as carpentry work had been something he was very interested in before he became a maester and he always claimed that a man should know how to work hard as it would keep him from getting proud.

Ginny liked the older man very much. He was down to earth and practical and not swayed by money or jewels or beauty. He was an invaluable friend to have and Sirius would be lucky to have a man like that on his council.

One afternoon while classes with the children were still ongoing, though Caiaphas had left and it was only Vellaena left, Ginny and Missandei decided to go into the marketplace as Ginny had hardly been out at all in the last week and was longing to see more of Qarth.

Sirius had gone for a meeting with the Thirteen and wouldn't be back for hours. Septimus was sleeping and Ginny had had enough practice with wandless magic as she could stand without going stir crazy.

Missandei was eager to stretch her legs as well and so the two of them had taken two of Sirius's guards that patrolled the walks outside of the house and headed in the direction of the marketplace.

The sun was shining and it was a busy day to be out and about.

The market in Qarth was a series of vendors and stores that lined one large very long street in the very center of Qarth.

There was everything from food and selling of animals to slaves and textiles, the first of which made Ginny wince.

 _This has got to end and soon,_ she thought. _  
_

Fortunately they didn't have to go past the slave sellers on their way to the cloth merchants and Ginny allowed herself to forget about that unfortunate activity for a while before she and Missandei made their way into the store.

"Blue is a lovely color on you my lady," Missandei said softly as they looked at several different types of cloth. "It brings out the fieriness of your hair."

Ginny smiled at the servant. Missandei was quite beautiful herself with her honey toned skin and dull amber eyes. She was slim but had the right amount of curves in the right places and Ginny wasn't so dull that she hadn't seen some of the male servants eying her. But Missandei seemed oblivious.

The red head knew that her time with Master Kraznys had scarred her and she was reluctant to trust people after that, especially men.

There may have come a time when Missandei would go to the bed of another man but Ginny had a feeling that it would only happen after marriage and it would be a long time coming.

"I suppose you're right," she said softly to the servant. "Very few colors do suit me though. My coloring isn't the greatest when it comes to matching other shades."

"Nonsense," Missandei said gesturing to the blue cloth they were looking at. Something like this would bring out your eyes and make your hair look even redder than it is already. It would also flatter your skin. How you managed to keep it so ivory white when we're out in the sun all the time is beyond me."

Ginny laughed. "Good genes I suppose."

She ended up buying the bolt of cloth and Ginny decided she would use her magic to make her own clothes with it later.

One of the guards took the bolt and tucked it beneath his arm as they continued their walk through the marketplace.

There was a cat's eye golden bracelet that she purchased quietly when Missandei wasn't looking and decided to present her friend with it later in an effort to make her smile. She had a feeling that Missandei would have never owned something so fine and as king as the girl had been to her, Ginny wanted to make her smile.

As they passed a spice merchant, Ginny began to wonder if there were many magical powders to be found in this place or things that could supplement the ingredients she had used at home.

Potions hadn't been her favorite subject but she had found it interesting and had considered being a potions mistress upon her graduation.

Until she had fallen through the Veil and landed in Essos that was.

 _Potions will be helpful when Sirius and I get around to opening the hospital that we have planned. If I can figure out how to regrow bones and heal diseases and cure infections than the health of this city is going to go right up._

She paused as she noted the rare and many different kinds of spices that were on display. She could see the seeds of many different kinds of fruits and vegetables, some that had medicinal properties and the crushed flower petals that could be used to numb pain and ease infections.

She took samples of everything and was about to carry on with Missandei when she happened to catch sight of what looked to be a bowl of tiny seed pearls on the table to the far right.

Ginny hesitantly picked one up. "What are these?"

The vendor looked somewhat uncomfortable. "They are called honey dew my lady."

Ginny frowned at the clear looking beads in her hand. They were perfectly translucent and reminded her of small pills or caplets. "Why is that?"

"Because they are sweet as honey but one of the deadliest poisons that Qarth knows," said a new voice that sent shivers down Ginny's spine.

Slowly she turned around and found herself face to face with the warlock Pyat Pree.

He was wearing his familiar brown and golden robes and the sunlight glinted off of his shaved head as if it were a mirror. His dark blue eyes were watching her very intently and in the light of the afternoon sun his blue tinged lips appeared even darker.

He gave her a smile but it had no warmth. "How lovely to see you again Lady Ginevra."

Ginny looked at him cautiously but nodded at him all the same. "And you as well master Pree."

The warlock reached out and took one of the honey dew drops from the palm of her hand and held it up to the light.

"Perfectly undetectable," he said. "Easily concealed within food and drink and the poor soul that ingests it will be dead within minutes."

"I take you have used these before," Ginny said. She didn't trust the warlock as far as she could throw him but she was also curious about him as well.

None of the war locks at approached her since the gathering at Xaro Daxos' residence but that didn't mean she hadn't thought about them all the same.

"Not very often," Pyat Pree said still gazing at the clear colored seed pearl in his hand. "Although there have been times in the past when it was…necessary."

 _Right._

After examining the honey dew drop further, Pree returned the pearls to the bowl and smiled at her. His blue eyes were bright with an insane intelligence but also a naked ambition to achieve what he set out to do.

"Might I walk with you for a moment Lady Ginevra?" he asked in an amiable voice. "There are things I wish to ask you."

She frowned at him and though he was alone, she didn't trust him for a moment. Her guards took a step closer, but she waved them back. As….odd as he was, she didn't think Pree would try anything here in the open sunlight of the market.

But if he was bold enough to try his parlor tricks when she had seen him in Daxos' house than there obviously wasn't a lot of subtly residing in the man.

"And what are those things you wish to say sir?" she asked as they slowly wandered through the market.

Missandei stayed a respectful distance behind her with the two guards but Ginny could feel the girl's sharp golden eyes on her.

"Have you give more thought to my words?" he asked. "To visit the House of the Undying?"

Ginny didn't want to admit that she had thought more about what he had said than almost the dream she had had.

The house of the Undying had weighed heavily on her mind especially since it was the first thing one saw when they exited the villa. No matter where one went in Qarth the tall tower followed them around.

It seemed to cast a shadow over all who lived there and Ginny couldn't help but wonder what horrors or wonders lay within.

But Pree couldn't know that so she lied.

"I'm afraid that my mind as been occupied of late," she said cordially.

"With the school you and your father have been building."

It wasn't a question and Ginny wasn't all that surprised that he knew. The Thirteen were displeased with it and no doubt he might be as well although she could not fathom why.

Instead however, he seemed rather amused by what they had done as if she and Sirius were simply two children experimenting on something. The notion angered Ginny but she tamped down her rage.

"Taking care of the children of this city is a noble task," she said somewhat stiffly. "It seems Qarth has fallen onto hard times since they let their children run dirty and throughout the streets without food. We are ensuring the next generation of Qarth."

If anything that seemed to amuse Pree further. "Perhaps….but what sort of future will that be?"

Ginny frowned at him. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"There was a time when the warlocks of Qarth were known far and wide for their power and the many wonders they unleashed upon the world. But since the decline of magic and the disappearance of the dragons the House of the Undying is now foolishly known as the Palace of Dust."

His tone turned subtly harder at the moniker as if it annoyed him and Ginny could tell he was irritated by those who mocked them.

"I'm not sure what the decline of your reputation has to do with me sir," she said and Pree turned his bright blue eyes on her.

"Perhaps not yet my dear but you will. You are aware that Gryffindor is an old Valyrian name and that your father is from a line of kings that is thousands of years old correct?"

Ginny nodded, knowing that they didn't know of Sirius's past in England and if anything it was her who had the Valyrian roots. But she said nothing.

"Then you know it was the ancient Valyrians who had magic in their blood through secrets that have long since been lost. When they discovered Dragons, deeply magical creatures they were able to tame them and breed the beasts. But no one knows that they were able to bond with the dragons as well. That they were able to connect to the dragons in a way that no one else did or has been able to since."

"This is a nice story Master Pree," Ginny said calmly. "But dragons have long since disappeared and there is little hope of them every re-emerging. So what is the need for the history lesson?"

Pree smiled then. "I would expect the answer to that would be obvious Lady Ginevra. You have Valyrian blood in your veins…..thus it would not surprise me if you were to have the magic of your ancestors as well."

For a moment Ginny panicked, glad it didn't know on her face even though she paused. "And how are you so sure of that?"

Pree smiled again. "Perhaps it is the very fact that the magic of the warlocks has returned in the last few weeks, something that should be deemed impossible."

"You can thank the gods that your fortune is good then," Ginny said formally. She had a feeling she knew what Pree was getting at and knew she had to distract him. "You must be pleased that your order will have stopped falling into decay."

Pree stopped then amid the busy patrons of the marketplace and eyed her from his impressive height with his gleaming blue eyes.

"Indeed, we are quite pleased that our fortunes have changed. Now we need only to ensure that they stay that way. And my dear girl you play…..an intrinsic role in that future."

"Do I?" Ginny asked sarcastically. "Why I'm honored and what would you have me do sir to guarantee your continued assent to glory?"

Pree didn't even seem to notice her tone. "I believe the answer to your question can be found on the palm of your hand my dear."

Before Ginny could even glance down at her hand, the warlock had seized her by the shoulder and jerked her hand up, palm facing upwards so that the small silver marking there was visible. It was no more than a quarter size in diameter but because of its silvery color it was painfully visible in the sun.

"Do you know what this Lady Ginevra?" he asked peering at it almost greedily.

"It's a birthmark," Ginny said sharply jerking her hand back. She had thought quickly and it was the first thing that came to mind.

"A silver one?" he asked raising an eyebrow. "Do not insult me my dear, a mark such as that could only come to one who has touched a dragon."

Ginny felt her blood run cold and she instantly thought of Septimus, still so small back in his cage in the villa.

But she forced herself to relax, knowing that she could not allow the warlock to scare her. "It's a pity that there aren't any more dragons living otherwise I might have believed you."

Pree didn't seem to be put off by her answers in fact he smiled again and this time his sharp white teeth gleamed in the sun like the baring a shark did with its own jaws before they tore you to shreds.

Not a comforting sight to say the least.

"They say that the Targaryens and the other members of the Valyrian freehold were dragon blessed, that they had such a way with the beasts that no one who was not of that bloodline would understand it. And now it is a shame that so few old Valyrians remain to keep the bloodline alive and most of them now exist across the Narrow Sea. But this mark my dear…..its means you are dragon blessed. And that a dragon has hatched for you. Dragons have once more returned to the world."

Ginny wanted to curse, she had forgotten all about the mark on her hand. Foolishly she had thought that it was so small and so insignificant that no one would notice it. But this was no normal mana and when he had taken the honey dew drops from her hand, the silver on her palm was now visible.

He had her.

But there was no way she was going to admit to the fact that she was harboring a live dragon in her home and that there were eleven more unhatched eggs down in the secret vault beneath the villa.

"What do you want?" she ground out at the warlock.

His face seemed the perfect paragon of peace when he smiled at her. "Soon my dear…soon you will find out."

And then she blinked hard when she realized he had melted away into the sunshine and disappeared.

It took Ginny a second to realize what had happened, but when she did she turned to Missandei and the guards. "Quickly now, we need to return to the villa."

She barely spared any time in walking back there and fairly ran the distance through the streets with the guards and Missandei struggling to keep up.

As she ran, her mind was racing with what Pyat Pree had told her.

 _He knows….he knows about Septimus, that I have a dragon and he won't stop until he's gotten his hands on him or me….or both of us._

Ginny was struggling to breathe as she turned the last corner and came in sight of the villa. But it wasn't until she had gotten to the gates and saw them hanging open that she realized something was terribly wrong.

None of the guards were patrolling the walks in the front of the house and in fact the gates were hanging off their hinges as if they had been blown inward by a great force.

Ginny felt ice in her veins.

 _The children…..they were still here._

She was further horrified to learn upon entering the house that the bodies of Sirius's servants littered the halls. Their throats had been cut and Ginny felt rage sizzle in her veins when she saw that the servants who had been so kind to her and taken care of her were now dead.

 _He did this….that smug bastard did this….I'll kill him when I see him!_  
She continued running down the halls with the guards calling out behind her and Missandei telling her she needed to wait for them.

She burst into the classroom where the lesson had still been going on and came to a screeching halt when she saw the sight before her.

It was empty…..not a child was in there, they were all gone and Vellaena as well. Desks had been overturned and papers strewn everywhere as if there had been a great amount of chaos in the room before the children had disappeared.

"Ginny!"

The red head turned at the sound of Sirius's voice and sighed in relief when she saw him enter the room right behind the guards. His eyes took in the room in disarray and seem to glint with black fire.

Quickly he strode over and pulled her into his arms. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. "They took them father. Those bastards with the blue lips took the children and Vellaena too!"

She quickly explained to him what had happened to her in the market with Missandei and what had happened when Pyat Pree had seen her palm and how his eyes had lightened at the sight of it.

Sirius let loose a low growl from deep in his throat. "It appears that neither of our days have been good so far."

The he told her about his meeting with Daxos and the thirteen and how the warlocks had shown up and slit the throat of every member of the government in that room while Daxos had watched and did nothing. As payment for his crimes, Sirius had slit his throat before he could even blink.

"What do they want?" Ginny asked as she looked about the room. Her rage at what had happened to the children was growing higher and higher and she feared if she didn't let it out soon she would explode.

"My lady," Missandei said hesitantly. "This was pinned to the door of the classroom. I feared in our haste that we did not see it."

She handed a scrap of white parchment to Ginny who looked down at the words on it and felt herself blanch.

Sirius looked over her shoulder, reading as well and she heard him hiss out a breath when he finished.

She felt her own blood run cold as the words themselves registered.

 _We have the children and the school teacher. If you wish to see them alive again you will come to the House of the Undying at once Lady Ginevra and you will come alone. And bring the dragon._

Ω

 **So the next chapter will feature Ginny in the House of the Undying. The warlocks interest in her will finally be revealed and Sirius and Vellaena take steps forward in their relationship now that her father is dead. Also, some of you have been wondering about the timeline and so I will tell you. Aerys Targaryen is still king across the narrow sea and Ginny will be paired up with Rhaegar in this story. Just for some of you who are curious. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and don't forget to review!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"No, absolutely not!" Sirius bellowed. "I won't allow it!"

Ginny sighed in frustration as her adoptive father paced about the empty classroom of the villa like a caged animal. They had been debating the demand on the note for the past ten minutes and he was adamant that she would not be going into the House of the Undying alone. And she was just as adamant that she had to.

"Father we don't have a choice," she said painstakingly through her teeth. She had been trying to convince him of the need to act quickly and was rapidly losing patience. "We don't know what they are doing to the children and Vellaena and the message was quite clear. I'm to come immediately and to come alone."

"You realize that you're going to give them exactly what they want by doing this," he said wheeling to face her as he paced. "Ginny the warlocks are dangerous even after their power has waned all these years later. And a dragon would be the greatest way to restore their power to its former glory. And you will be taking one to them."

"I know," Ginny said calmly but then raised a hand to interrupt her adoptive father who looked as if he were about to explode. "But it's not as if I'm going to be helpless. I have my magic and Septimus will be with me the entire time. If I don't go, they will kill all of those children. That is not something I want to live with on my conscience when I could have done something to prevent it."

Sirius ran a hand through his unruly black curls. "Then you will at least allow me to accompany you into that place."

Ginny shook her head. "You can come with me as far as the perimeter of the House of the Undying but no further."

Sirius's face was growing completely red but Ginny again interrupted him when it appeared he was about to interrupt. "They will know that I have brought help and then the terms of their message are null and void. As long as I follow them to the letter, they will not harm the children because they have no reason to."

"And how are you so sure?"

Ginny smiled. "Because they are more concerned with myself and the dragon than they are about school children. They knew that the only way to get me to come and to bring

Septimus was through my heart. They gambled that if we are as benevolent as we claim to be that we wouldn't stand idly by while they take Qarth's children captive."

"And they were right," Sirius said in a frustrated growl. "Damn them."

Ginny gave him a grim smile. "I'll be alright. I'll have Septimus with me the entire time and you know how protective he is. Granted he's not all that big yet but dragons are volatile creatures when they are angry despite their size."

She said this full well remembering the Tri-Wizard Tournament that had taken place when they were in school as well as the dragons that the champions had been forced to face in the first task.

She crossed the room to him and took his hand. "I know that you're worried, I am too but it's not as if I'll be alone. I have my magic, and besides I don't think they're going to do anything to harm me."

She didn't really believe her words and Sirius didn't looked the slightest but reassured. "Ginny, the Undying are not to be crossed. I have heard that they can change their appearance at will. They may present themselves as beautiful human beings full of youth and vitality in the prime of their lives but I have also heard that these are merely disguises for horrifying creatures with blue skin and blue eyes for their constant drinking of shade of the evening."

Ginny grimaced but gave him a small smile. "So in essence they are crazier than the warlocks themselves?"

She had read a little bit about the Undying in Sirius' library around a month ago and the idea of them did give her the creeps.

Despite himself, her adoptive father gave her a small but grim smile. "I suppose that's one way of putting it. But in essence they are more dangerous. I have heard in the days when the warlocks were more powerful it was common practice for the Undying Ones to feast upon the flesh of their victims and drain the life out of them."

That gave Ginny pause. _So we have glorified blue vampires here as well? This world just gets better and better. It's ironic that there are elements of it that are similar to home._

She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "It doesn't matter. All this does is show me that I _have_ to go. God only knows a sight like that would be enough to drive young children mad with fear. This is our responsibility. This school was started by us, it is up to us to remove the children from that house of horrors."

She saw then the resignation in his eyes and that there would be no convincing her otherwise. His mouth set in a grim line and a small snarl escaped his throat.

He looked at her for a long moment, his black eyes hard. "Half an hour, that's all I'm going to give you before I come in after you, warlocks, Undying or no."

She smirked at him. "I don't doubt it. I won't be long."

But she was rather hard pressed to hide her own worry from herself because she had a feeling she knew why they wanted the dragon. Because their own power had increased in the weeks since Septimus had hatched and now Pyat Pree had seen the silver mark on her hand he would know that dragons had been reborn and magic had returned to the world.

If her line of thinking was correct, than they would wish to keep Septimus and thus herself near them at all times to ensure that their magic remained and that it was strong.

Seven hells this was a nightmare!

Ginny swallowed hard and gave her adoptive father a grim smile. "I am going to my room to retrieve Septimus and then…..we are going to make for the House of the Undying with all haste. We've already wasted too much time."

She hurried from the classroom leaving Sirius to bark orders to his guards and took the stairs two at a time, all but sliding down the marble floors of the hallway in her haste.

She quickly lowered the wards of the room when she reached it and opened the door before shutting it quickly behind her and closing her eyes, taking a deep breath.

Even for her Gryffindor sensibilities, this was going to require a lot of daring. She had fought and killed men before but it was never something she had relished. Taking a life was a heavy burden no matter how necessary it had been at the time. She was only sixteen after all, killing or being in dangerous situations shouldn't be something she was used to and certainly not something she should have to partake in.

And yet here she was in Qarth about to walk into a building famed for its magic and hopefully not die in the process.

Ginny wasn't so foolish to believe that she would be able to come out the House of the Undying without having shed some blood but she comforted herself with the knowledge that whatever she might find there was not human and had stopped being so a long time ago.

Also, now was not the time to be contemplating the philosophy behind killing. She had a job to do and a dozen children to rescue.

Ginny suddenly had flashbacks of what happened in her fourth year at the Ministry when she and Harry and Ron and Hermione and Neville and Luna had gone to the Department of Mysteries to rescue Sirius. It was a fantastical but also terrifying place simply because of the unknown elements that were attached to it. There was a good deal of prophecies hidden there as well and the dark lord had sent his followers to find the one about Harry.

 _This is no different than me going into the Department of Mysteries,_ Ginny thought to herself taking a deep breath. _I came out of that one alive, surely it will be the same for this one as well._

But then she remembered that Sirius had died in the Department of Mysteries and a cold feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.

 _He won't be coming with me this time,_ she thought fiercely to herself. _I won't risk his life for a second time. He's all the family that I have left._

Ginny had come to love Sirius like a father in the last two months since she had lived with him in Qarth. And she would be damned if something happened to him and she could have prevented it.

She hurried over to Septimus's cage which was resting in the sunshine as the dragon napped and slowly pulled the woven basket door down.

"Come out little guy," she called softly. "I need your help."

She could see the small white dragon lying curled up on the floor of the cage with his head nestled beneath his wing, but at the sound of her voice, the dragon lifted its head and gazed at her with one of its large yellow eyes.

He stretched like a cat and then padded out of the cage and onto her outstretched hand, crawling up it to her shoulder where he perched firmly.

The red head reached out to stroke his wings and he must have sensed her distress for he nuzzled her cheek with the top of his head.

"I need your help to dispatch some very dangerous men Septimus," Ginny said softly when the dragon croaked in question at her. "We need to go to the House of the Undying and rescue the children. You will help me won't you?"

The dragon didn't reply as dragons normally don't do but Septimus nuzzled closer to her and she took that as all the confirmation that she would need.

She took a deep breath and quickly disillusioned him before she strode for the door of the chamber and stopped at the door, taking one last look back before she shut it.

 _I will be back,_ she thought fiercely.

Sirius was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. He knew she would have hidden Septimus in case anyone were to see him, but he nodded when he saw her.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked.

Ginny gave him a grim smile. "I don't have much of a choice do I? I have no idea what they will do to the children and I don't want to know. You and I are really the only ones that can go in there. And I refuse to let you endanger yourself. Harry and I already lost you once, I don't want to lose you again."

Sirius bristled at the mention of his godson's name but he nodded. "Alright but I am only giving you half an hour. If you're not out by then, I am in coming in after you."

Ginny nodded. "Very well then. I suppose we shouldn't keep the warlocks waiting any longer than they need to be. I have an appointment with those blue lipped bastards and I mean to keep it."

Ω

It didn't take long to get to the house of the Undying. But perhaps the fact that it was in the center of Qarth helped as well.

The enormous grey and brown tower rose over the entire city like some menacing giant waiting to step on and crush the ants that were living beneath its feet.

Not a very comforting metaphor.

With Septimus on her shoulder, Ginny marched up the path for the tower with determined strides. She was nervous but there wasn't anyone else but her who would be able to do this job and she would be damned if she didn't try.

As she stood there before the building however and observed it fully for the first time, Ginny was a little surprised to see a ruinous plain building like this existed in such a magnificent city as Qarth.

 _I can certainly see where the term Palace of Dust comes from,_ she thought wryly to herself.

The House of the Undying was an ancient grey stone ruin. Surrounding the perimeter of the building itself were several groves of black barked trees with inky blue leaves which she was sure were used to make the drink that the Qartheen had dubbed Shade of the Evening.

No buildings were anywhere near it and it seemed as if the house itself occupied a spot where there was a distance of several hundred yards between it and the rest of the buildings of the city.

Septimus seemed to find the sight displeasing as well for upon seeing it he hissed and smoke seeped out from between his sharp teeth. He let out a low growl as if he knew that this was a dangerous place but a second later, Ginny happened to see the source of his disquiet.

Standing under the shade of one of the black barked trees nearest her was the warlock Pyat Pree. He was watching her with his unnatural blue eyes and he had a slight smile on his face as if he were feeling very pleased with himself.

 _Smug bastard…..he's getting exactly what he wants and I can't do a damn thing about it._

Sirius growled low in his throat at the sight of the warlock and Ginny reached out to take his hand. "Please don't do anything rash. You make him angry and we might never see the children alive again."

He nodded his face hard. "Alright, I'll behave."

Ginny took a deep breath and released the spell of disillusionment on Septimus so the white dragon was now visible to the warlock who was walking slowly towards them.

"Lady Ginevra," he called as soon as he neared her. "How good of you to come. And you've brought your dragon as well."

"You didn't exactly give me much of a choice," Ginny said glaring up at the tall warlock. "It was either come and bring the dragon or you would have killed all those school children and Vellaena as well. You're a fool if you think I would allow something like that to happen."

He spread his hands in a placating gesture. "Is it so wrong to desire that a once great house such as ours be brought back to its former glory? To wish that the old things were restored? Surely you can see the logic in that."

Ginny nodded at the House of the Undying. "Right now all I can see is the building you call home and the fact that it is keeping me from getting to my goal of getting the children and getting out. Shall we get on with it, or are you going to continue to waste my time?"

The warlock looked amused. "Perish the thought my lady. Come along and I will be happy to show you our glorious house."

Sirius stepped forward then to make his presence known and glared at the warlock with enough heat that if looks could kill it would have set his purple robes on fire. "One moment Pree. If anything happens to my daughter in there, I will not hesitate to burn your precious sanctuary to the ground with you in it. Is that clear?"

"Crystal my lord Gryffindor," Pyat Pree said serenely as if Sirius had just been commenting on the weather.

He then offered his hand to Ginny who with great reluctance took it and allowed him to lead her towards the temple. Septimus hissed the moment the warlock laid a hand on

Ginny's arm, but Pree simply smiled serenely at the small creature before leading Ginny towards the house.

As the neared the grove of black barked trees, Ginny suddenly felt a cold feeling come over her and she fought not to shiver.

The moment they stepped beneath the shade of those dark trees, the sunlight disappeared and the air was tinged with an ominous chill.

It was much darker than she would have anticipated and all of a sudden, the beautiful red head felt nervous. _Gods I hope this trip does not end with insane sorcery and broken necks._

The path to the House of the Undying suddenly seemed longer and the stones began to elongate as she and the warlock walked farther and farther away from the path where they had left Sirius.

"Where are you taking me?" the red head demanded.

"Why to the House my lady," Pree replied calmly. "Do you recall when I asked you to look into the face of the gem and see its many facets? This is no different than that.

Sometimes you have to look closely at something in order to see what lies beneath it."

Ginny ground her teeth together. _Merlin, do all of these blue lipped bastards speak in riddles?!_

She was just about to give voice to this question when she realized how quiet it was. Not only had the sun been hidden behind those black branches, but there was not a sound of birds in the trees and it was as if the noises of the city had long since faded away.

It was as silent as a tomb.

All of a sudden, Pree made a sharp turn to the left and Ginny was forced to follow him beneath the line of dark trees until they had reached a door in the side of the tower.

But this wasn't any normal door and Ginny was slightly unnerved when she looked at it.

It was tall and oval shaped and set in the wall, fashioned into the likeness of a human face. Its eyes were large as if they were two tunnels beckoning her into their dark depths.

 _What a singularly bizarre and unpleasant sight.  
_

The two of them stopped at the door and Ginny glared at the warlock. "Now what?"

He turned to face her and she blinked when she saw that he now had a slender crystal goblet fixed in his right hand.

"What's that?" she asked warily.

He held it out towards her. "Anyone who enters the House of the Undying and seeking an audience with them must drink Shade of the Evening so that they may hear and see the truths laid before them. Following the rules is very important."

Ginny eyed the dark blue liquid with distrust and distaste. "And there's no other way to get in here without….drinking this?"  
Pree smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "I'm afraid not Lady Ginevra. The only way to reclaim what you have lost is to seek an audience with the Undying Ones so they may point you in the direction you wish to go. The only way to see them is if you drink the Shade of the Evening and if you do not than that which you have come here looking for will never be found. In essence, what is in this goblet is your only way in."

Ginny glared at him. _Smug bastard._

She saw now that she had no other choice. If she wished to have any hope of finding the children than she had to drink what was in the goblet.

And so she took a deep breath and raised the slender crystal flute to her lips, not even hesitating before she drained the glass dry. It was far bitterer than the wine she had had to drink since she had arrived in Qarth and once or twice she had to fight the urge to gag, but somehow she managed to get it all down.

When she lowered the glass from her mouth and swallowed hard in disgust, the crystal flute was immediately pulled from her hand by Pyat Pree and the door to the House of the Undying swung open with a creak.

"And now you may enter," Pree said, stepping aside for her and making a grand sweeping gesture as if he were welcoming her to the Ritz Carlton.

 _How wonderful._

She paused before she stepped over the threshold and gave him a meaningful look. "I take it I'm going to have to find the Undying on my own now won't I?"

He almost looked insulted by such a question. "Not at all my dear. When you enter, you will see three doors ahead of you. In order to reach the Undying, one must always take the first door on the right and always take the stairs up. You must not enter any of the other chambers in the House until you reach the audience chamber. And in order to leave the audience chamber, you must take the same path that you took before; always the first door to the right and always up the stairs."

His directions were very specific and Ginny narrowed her eyes at him warily. "And what if I choose a different path?"

His smile turned slightly menacing. "Then you will not like the consequences. The rules of the Undying are not to be broken."

 _How comforting._

She was about to step foot over the threshold once more before she had one more thought and turned to him. "One last thing."

"Yes?"

"You're not coming with are you? To give me the guided tour?"

To her surprise, he laughed. "The rules of the Undying are very specific my dear Lady Ginevra. He who enters, must enter alone….or not at all."

 _And if that's not ominous at all._

Ginny turned towards the door and squared her shoulders again. "Very well then. I suppose I should get this over with."

The warlock didn't answer, but she didn't expect him to. He waited until she had crossed over the threshold into the House of the Undying before giving her an eerily calm smile.

In the next instant, the door behind her had shut, leaving her in total darkness.

She had somewhat expected it, so she wasn't altogether surprised. It seemed to be the intention of the warlocks to imprison her in this place, although she had no inclination to comply with their wishes. She was here for the children and then she was going to get the hell out.

The only problem was that she had no idea where they were and the Undying were her only chance of finding them.

She wanted for her eyes to adjust as best as possible to the darkness before she held her hand up and whispered, "lumos."

Instantly a dull light lit the room from the palm of her hand. The light was a pale blue color but it would suit her needs well enough. It was by that light that she was able to look around and see that she was in a circular chamber. It had impossibly high ceilings and was made completely of stone. There was a musty scent in the air as if it had been a while since any fresh air had been allowed to inhabit the place. She was standing in the center of the room and directly ahead of her were three doors spaced evenly apart just like Pyat Pree had said.

"Well as much of a right bastard as he is, at least his directions can be trusted," Ginny muttered to Septimus who bobbed his head on her shoulder. "Now he said to go through the first door on the right and whenever I am presented with a set of stairs to always go up them but never down. Isn't that right?"

Septimus didn't answer, but she hadn't expected him to.

Instead, she made for the first door on the right and placed her hand upon the knob. After taking a deep breath, she wrenched the knob to the right and flung the door open.

And just like in her dream, she was presented with a long stone hallway that was lined with torches. It seemed to be on an incline so she knew she was traveling in the right direction. Pyat Pree had told her to always go up and never down.

 _I suppose I should listen to what the old bastard says. Finding the Undying are my only chance for finding the children and Vellaena and getting the hell out of here. If that means I have to go up then I'm going to go up._

Septimus hissed on her shoulder and she absently patted his head. As soon as she stepped through the door on the right side of the room, it swung shut behind her and aside from the light from the torches on either side of the halls, she was in total darkness.

"Great," Ginny muttered, "Just great."

She extinguished the spell she was using and hesitantly pulled one of the metal torches free from the wall. It was probably better to save her energy for using large amounts of magic at another time.

She knew she wasn't going to get out of this without some blood being spilt so it was probably better to save her energy for all of her deadliest spells.

What did unnerve her though as she walked down the hall of the House of the Undying, was just how quiet it was.

There were no windows in the building so she knew she wouldn't hear the sound of wind rustling from the outside. But there was also no sound from the outside of any birds, or people talking in the street and as far as Ginny knew, there should have been. They weren't that far from the marketplace of Qarth for there to be absolutely no sound.

 _This is a place of strong magic, it would figure that there would be no sound. I'll bet when someone comes into this place, the Undying would want them to feel isolated, as if they're all alone and there's no one to help them. It's a psychological technique. I suppose I should give the bastards credit. They know all about how the human mind works._

She continued to walk up the hallway, the only sound meeting her ears were those of her footsteps on the stones.

At the far end of the passage, she came upon another door. This one was identical to the one she had gone through and Ginny paused before taking another deep breath, laying her hand on the knob and throwing it open.

She was confronted with another chamber only this one seemed to be as high as the first one with the door from the outside.

As Ginny held up the torch to have a look around she realized that the most prominent thing in this chamber was an enormous winding staircase that led upward into the darkness to parts of the house that were unknown. There were no windows in the chamber as well so the only light that she had was coming from the torch in her hand. The chamber was completely circular as well and she could barely make out the curving stones

 _Great,_ she thought. _Now not only am I in a magical haunted house, but it seems to be alive as well and have a mind of its own. Fabulous._

She hesitated only a moment before heading for the stairs and slowly starting up them. The lack of sound was really beginning to unnerve the red head but she fought to remain focused and Septimus hissed quietly on her shoulder. As small as it was, it was a comfort.

Climbing the stairs felt like a task in and of itself because the higher she climbed the hotter the air seemed to get. Because there were no windows in the chamber, the hot air had nowhere to go and Ginny practically began to feel the sweat sliding down her back.

 _Merlin how long does this go on for?!_

The darkness of the chamber was so intense, that the torch she was holding only seemed to cover her in a dome of light and went out for about a few feet but stopped soon after that as if it had hit a wall of blackness and would go no further.

Ginny couldn't even tell how long she had been climbing or how far she had risen off the ground.

She had just reached a state of consciousness where she was close to pulling out her hair when all of a sudden, her foot connected with one of the stone ledges of the stairs and she nearly tripped before catching herself on the railing.

Cursing, she managed to pick herself up and as she did so, she raised her head and was confronted with a platform just ahead of her on the steps upon which was perched another door just like the first two.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ginny hurried towards it and placed her hand on the knob before yanking it open and hurrying inside.

To her irritation, she was presented with another long hallway much like the first one she had walked down. This one was lined with torches like the one she was holding in her hand but this one seemed even longer than before.

Also unlike the first one, Ginny was surprised to see that there were several doors lining each side of the hall as if there were hidden chambers in this section of the house.

Fortunately, she remembered the words of Pyat Pree not to enter any of the chambers until she reached the audience one.

She could see a door at the other end of the hallway and assumed that was where she was supposed to go.

However, she hadn't expected for each of the doors of the rooms to be open. In fact it didn't appear as if there were any doors at all, just open doorways and Ginny couldn't stop herself from looking in as she passed them by.

However she wasn't expecting what she would see to be as…..bizarre and disturbing as it was.

Inside the first chamber, she was stunned to see a beautiful woman lying naked on the floor being ravished but four short ugly dwarves. The woman had beautiful golden hair and she was in the midst of crying out, but she didn't know if it was for help or in ecstasy.

 _What the bloody hell?_

In the back of her mind, Ginny knew this wasn't real and was just some sort of bizarre vision that she was having but the utter obtuse nature of the situation made her have to blink and swallow hard a few times before she turned away from the doorway in disgust.

 _I certainly hope the next thing that I see won't be as bizarre._

She turned away from the door with the bizarre little men inside the room, trying without success to mentally erase what she had seen. _I don't think that's something that's ever going to get out of my mind._

When she reached the next room and looked inside however, the vision in there immediately chased the first one from her mind.

She was standing looking at a long room that was occupied like a long stone table with pillars all around it. It appeared as if there were some sort of bizarre dinner party going on. The chairs around the table though were occupied with beings that made her want to back away in horror.

Ginny wasn't so distracted by her mission here that she had forgotten about her dream that she had had a few weeks earlier.

The one where she was standing in the throne room that was covered in snow and a series of monsters made entirely of ice and Merlin knew what was were surrounding her. A fully grown Septimus had been the only way to take her out of that situation and get her to wake up.

Now she was standing looking into what appeared to be a bizarre dinner party where those same ice monsters were all sitting around a table and feasting on something that she couldn't see.

The most gruesome sight of all however was the fact that scattered about the room, on the floors and tied to the pillars and on the backs of chairs there were corpses lying about in a truly morbid fashion.

Some were strung up by their hands and others were lying gutted on the cold stone floors about the dining table while the monsters feasted.

But the most startling that almost had the red head backing away from the door in shock was the figure seated at the head of the table was the very one she had been confronted with in her dreams.

It was the tall figure of the monster made out of ice with the spikes of ice growing out of his head in the shape of a crown. He had a goblet of wine in his hand and as Ginny watched, he opened his mouth and emitted a peculiar roar that had a shiver going down her spine.

It was then that she noticed the…..decorations or rather lack thereof in the center of the table.

They were all the heads of prominent animals and she watched in horror as the blood dripped down off of each one, skimming the table and dropping onto the floor.

There was the head of a stag, along with the maned head of a lion, its furry maw still open in a roar as if that had been the moment when the beast was decapitated. There was the head of a wolf sitting among the dishes along with the body of a trout between its teeth. A golden rose was sitting atop its head but it didn't take a botanist to tell that the rose had wilted and died a long time ago.

Most prominent of all that could be seen was the head of a black dragon sitting in the middle of the table and Ginny gasped, raising a hand to her mouth in horror.

 _What the bloody hell is this?_ She thought in shock. _Some kind of version of an apocalyptic future that has yet to happen?_

Just because she lived on the other side of the world didn't mean that Ginny didn't know the stories of the White Walkers and how they had invaded thousands of years ago in the days of the First Men.

They had never made it as far south as Essos but that didn't mean that the stories still weren't told by shamans and religious men who prayed against such occurrences happening ever again.

Her gasp must have alerted the attention of the crowned figure at the center of the room and Ginny was horrified to look up and see that the monstrous creature was staring at her with its glowing blue eyes.

Painstakingly as if he were taking his own sweet time to do it, the monster raised one of its eerily long arms at her, and pointed a bony finger in her direction.

Instantly, Ginny felt cold all over, as if she had been covered in ice and she stumbled backwards, eyes still fixed on him.

He opened his mouth again and emitted a peculiar roar like she remembered him doing the first time.

All of a sudden, a concussion filled the room that didn't make a sound but was deafening. Ginny felt as if an enormous pair of hands had filled the bizarre dining hall and clapped as loudly as was humanly possible, because then a breathe of wind all but blew her back from the doorway with Septimus hissing on her shoulder.

And just like that, the entire room went back….she couldn't see into it anymore.

Ginny stumbled back from the doorway and continued her pace along the hallways a bit more quickly. _I'm not sure that I want to see anymore._

The hallway seemed to elongate as she hurried down it and Ginny realized she was no closer to the door at the other end than when she had come through the door from the stair well the first time.

She gritted her teeth. _Whatever you do don't panic._

The red head passed another doorway and she seized upon the crazy notion that she should look in one more….just to distract herself. The last thing she wanted was to seize up and not know what to do.

It was crazy sure, but at the time logic wasn't making sense.

So as she passed another doorway on her right hand side, Ginny took a deep breath…..and looked in.

What she saw made her gasp and take a step back faster than the vision of the monsters had.

Because she was staring into her own dining room at the Burrow.

They were all there….Mum….Dad….the twins…..Percy….Charlie….Bill….Ron…..Harry and  
Hermione.

Her entire family was there…..they were all sitting around the table talking and laughing together as if they hadn't seen each other in years.

Ginny felt tears well in her eyes as she watched them. They were all together again and whole as if none of them had been touched by the war…..as if they had never suffered any pain or loss in their lives. As none of them were all dead.

Ginny pressed her fist to her mouth to choke back a sob and took a deep shuddering breath as she gazed on the familiar sight. She had spent so much times on moments like this taking it for granted…..not appreciating what she had.

 _I suppose it's true what they say,_ she thought bitterly to herself as she watched her family. _You never know what you have until its gone._

Fred must have said something particularly funny at that point for Percy's ears went red and Ron almost choked on the bite of the roll he had taken.

Harry leaned over and pounded his best friend on the back, trying to contain his own laughter, but Hermione looked scandalized.

She couldn't hear what had been said but she had a feeling that it was something only Fred would say.

Seeing George with both ears was bad enough but at the sight of her brother who had been senselessly killed in the last battle not long before Harry was enough to make her vision go blurry and cause her to blink hard. She felt the hot tears slide down her cheeks and took another deep shuddering breath.

 _It's not real,_ she thought fiercely to herself. _It's just these blue lipped pious bastards trying to mess with you. Now turn, and walk away._

But she couldn't.

It was as if they had seen inside of her head, seen all of her deepest darkest desires and wants and hurts and had taken them all and it had culminated in this vision that she was seeing of something from her past that she couldn't have.

All of a sudden, Fred looked up from his place at the table and caught sight of her. His face lit up with a huge smile and he pointed at her. "Hey Gin! What are you doing standing out there watching us? Come on in and pull up a chair!"

At the sound of his voice and the direction from which it came, the rest of the family looked up and upon seeing her got big smiles on their faces.

Harry then got up, and she felt a stabbing pain in her chest upon looking at him. His green eyes turned soft when he looked at her just as they had done before the wedding and he had had to tell her goodbye.

He smiled and she wanted to sob when she saw that smile of his. It was a smile that said that she was his whole world and he wanted her with him no matter what, come what may.

"Come on love," he said and she could feel the tears flooding down her cheeks again. "Come inside. You're been outside for too long. It's time to come back to us."

He walked closer and held out a hand toward her. "Come on Gin….it's time to come home."

Everything….Everything inside of her was screaming at her to reach out and take his hand. She could practically feel her fingers twitched as if her muscles were crying out for his hand in hers and she moved her hand closer to the doorway.

Ginny wasn't thinking, she knew she wasn't. But in that moment it didn't seem to matter. She would have given everything to see her family and friends again one more time and here they were…..calling for her to come to them.

How could she ignore that?

She reached her hand out towards Harry's outstretched one and their fingers nearly met when something strange happened.

Her hand was just about to cross the threshold of the door when Septimus issued a roar.

It was deeper and louder than any she had ever heard from him and it seemed far too big for his small frame.

At the sound of it, Ginny jumped and backed away from the door, memories of what Pyat Pree had said crowding into her mind.

 _You must not enter any of the other chambers in the House until you reach the audience chamber._

Instantly, Ginny realized how close she had come to ruining everything and shuddering sob, came from her throat as she pressed her fist against her mouth in an effort to calm herself down.

 _It wasn't real…..it wasn't reall….it wasn't real….._

She chanted the words over and over in her head until they finally registered in her brain and they were enough to calm her down. She felt Septimus nuzzling her cheek with his head in an attempt to comfort her and reached out to stroke his wings.

After a few minutes and she had successfully calmed herself down, though her eyes were still leaking tears, Ginny slowly straightened up and made her way back down the hall towards the door at the other end.

She was determined that she wasn't going to look through the other doors, terrified of what she might see this time.

Her mind was curiously numb as she walked alone and she felt drained, almost as if that one vision of her family had succeeded in taking all of the energy out of her.

She kept going though, knowing that as soon as she reached the end of the hall and opened the door there that she would find the audience chamber and the people that she was looking for.

So Ginny didn't look through any of the other doors as she walked along and curiously enough, the more of the doors she passed and didn't look into, the more she felt her energy coming back to her.

Feeling slightly better, Ginny was surprised when she reached the end of the hall at last and laid a hand on the door knob.

She gripped the torch with her other hand and tightened her fist on the knob, preparing to go in. _This is it._

After squaring her shoulders and taking a deep breath….Ginny clenched the knob in her fist and wrenched the door open before striding inside.  
And found herself in a cold stone room with pillars lining the sides of it. The only light was coming from a circular blue window directly above the middle of the room and above a long table that was also made out of stone. There was no food on the table but there were crystal goblets placed strategically every few feet that were filled with a dark liquid that she was willing to bet was Shade of the Evening.

It was cold in there and she had to fight the urge to shiver uncontrollably. As it was, she had to rub her hands up and down her arms in an attempt to warm them.

Behind the pillars that lined both sides of the room, there was nothing but absolute darkness and try as she might she couldn't see past it.

 _I assume this is the audience chamber._

There were twelve chairs around the table, five on one side, five on another and one on each end of the table.

And all of them but the one at the end closest to her were occupied.

The collection of people sitting in those chairs were some of the most beautiful individuals that Ginny had ever seen. There appeared to be six men and six women seated around the table. Ginny saw some with long golden curls or straight black tresses. Some had coppery waves and their eye colors ranged from green to violet and every color in between.

The men wore robes that lay perfectly against the hard muscles of their bodies and the women had curves that would have made many of the girls that Ginny had gone to school with cry in jealousy.

She was feeling a little self-conscious just sitting there watching them.

They appeared to be engaged in an intimate conversation for many of the women were laughing huskily at something that had been said.

Finally, the man at the end of the table that was facing the door she had gone through, one of the most handsome men she had ever seen with golden curls and deep grey eyes the color of storm clouds looked up at her and flashed a smile that was almost blinding. "Lady Ginevra Gryffindor. We have been waiting for you. Please….come and take a seat."

Unable to think of anything to say at the moment, Ginny slowly walked forward into the dull blue light towards the table. Before she could lay a hand on the chair however, a small figure darted out from the darkness on the left hand side and pulled the chair out for her to sit.

Ginny caught a glimpse of the small figure and realized with shock that it was a dwarf. It had a snout like face and was dressed in purple and blue livery. His hair was grey and greasy and he didn't look at her as he pulled out the chair for her.

 _He must be a servant,_ she thought absently.

The moment she stepped in front of the high backed chair and seated herself in it, the dwarf, with surprising strength pushed her chair in right up to the table before disappearing into the darkness once more.

"Don't mind him," the blonde man said again, calling her attention to his once more disturbingly perfect face. "He serves our needs well enough and only comes when we call for him."

"I take it you don't get to too many visitors here," Ginny said as she looked around the room cautiously and made note of the dust she could see drifting on the ground throughout the room.

She hadn't meant to be making a joke but the Undying all laughed just the same.

"There are few that are worthy to enter our house," the beautiful woman with the dark tresses and emerald green eyes said who was sitting to the right of the blonde man.

"There are many that try, and many that succumb along the way to meet us."

"So am I to understand that those….rooms along the hallway to get here weren't my welcoming party?" Ginny asked sarcastically. "Because you know I always thought that the simple approach of a hello how are you was the best way to greet someone."

They laughed again, but she wasn't being funny.

Ginny took a deep breath, trying to rein in her temper. "Look, I don't want to be here for any longer than I have to be. Can you just point me in the direction of the children and Vellaena and I will be on my way."

"I'm afraid it doesn't work like that Ginevra," the blonde man said and Ginny wanted to scream at his maddeningly calm tone. "You see, we asked for our servant Pyat Pree to bring you to us by whatever means necessary but up until now, you don't know why."

Septimus hissed on her shoulder and the man's eyes fixed on the dragon. "That is part of the reason….but you are the other."

"And what could you possibly want with me?" Ginny demanded.

"A sorceress of your calibre comes into this world once in a lifetime. Your father's power is like yours as well. But there are things about your power and about the magnificent creature on your shoulder that you do not know….things that we would teach you."

Ginny raised an eyebrow, not impressed at all. "Pardon me, I really didn't come here for a magic lesson. I know all the magic that is necessary for me to know and I am aware of the special bond I have with Septimus. I hatched him, I was the first one to touch him and I bear his mark on my hand. I'm here for one purpose only."

"And how do you hope to communicate with Septimus if you do not know the secret speech of dragonkind?" the dark haired woman asked and Ginny frowned at her. "I beg your pardon?"

"The language of your dragons my dear," she said patiently. "How do you think it was that the ancient Valyrians were able to tame master and communicate with their dragons?

It was through magic. A powerful magic that has not been seen in this world since the Doom. And it is a magic that you and your father possess. And with it, you will bring the world to heel."

Ginny was silent for a moment. "Really? And you've come to believe this about me how?"

"The mark on your hand for one. You are one who is dragon blessed. This means that a dragon has hatched for you, that you are its mistress and that you will share a connection with this dragon that will be unique to all others. Only those who are dragon blessed may pass through here. That is why your father was required to remain outside."

Somehow required didn't seem to be the right word to Ginny, but she kept her mouth shut. "And so what…..you want to teach me?"

"Is that so profane a thing? The blonde haired man asked again. "To have a sorceress of your calibre in our hallowed halls would once more lend credence to the name of the Undying. We would be revered once more."

"So it's power that you want?" Ginny scoffed. "And here I thought with the way Pyat Pree introduced me to you that it was more sophisticated than that."

"Is power a thing that is not worthy to be noticed?" the dark haired woman asked. "We all seek it. The now deceased Thirteen sought it. Xaro Daxos sought it, the merchants in the harbor seek it, the masters seek it, the slaves seek it, you and your father seek it. To want power is no immoral thing. In fact there is no such thing as immorality, there is only power and those who do or don't seize it."

Ginny had the oddest sense of déjà vu after that and she glared at the Undying. "Look I didn't come here to discuss philosophy. I came for the children. Now where are they?"

The dark haired man smiled at her. It was an eerily calm smile like the one Pyat Pree had given her before she entered the House of the Undying.

"But of course my dear," he said. "Simply walk through the door that is behind my chair and you will find them."

"And how do I know I can trust you?" Ginny asked warily.

"You don't," the dark haired woman said. "But if you don't than you will remain here and the children will not be found. It is your choice."

It didn't take Ginny long to decide.

She had no sooner passed the blonde man's chair when she heard him call out after her. "And Lady Ginevra?"

She paused. "Yes?"

"Try to keep an open mind about what you might see."

Ginny whirled around to demand what it was that meant by that but the moment she did so, the table, the goblets and the Undying had completely vanished…..and she was standing alone in a long stone room with two doors on opposite sides of each other.

 _This is turning out to be one hell of a day._

And then she turned around and wrenched open the door.

Ω

It was only when she stepped through and pulled the door shut behind her that she realized she was only in another room.

Except this time it wasn't connected to another long hallway with another set of doors at the end.

Ginny felt her eyes widen as she was standing in a magnificent throne room.

It was as large as the Great Hall of Hogwarts and seemed twice as grand with its enormous pillars and grated braziers.

It must have looked even more magnificent when it was in its heyday.

Now it was only a ruin.

As Ginny looked around, she could tell that something horrible had happened in this place. There was not a living soul anywhere though she had a feeling this throne room had once been filled with people.

It appeared to be the former place of a great court within a great kingdom.

As she looked around, she took note of the massive structure and the high arched ceilings. There was a window at the other end whose glass was stained and fashioned into the effigy of a seven pointed star.

It was situated right above a raised dais and upon that dais there was a throne.

Some might call it magnificent, but to Ginny it looked rather ugly.

 _This looks familiar,_ she thought to herself. _This is from my dream….how is this possible? I haven't told anyone about this…not even Sirius._

She slowly walked down from the steps on where she was standing to the side of the room and walked into the middle of the former court.

The pillars that lined the sides of the room were massive but they also looked bone white and as Ginny looked around she could tell that everything in the room was covered in a blanket of white. She looked up and realized right away why it was so cold in here.

The entire roof of the throne room had been torn open and there were gaping holes in the ceiling as if some monster had swooped down, taken hold of the roof in its talons or claws and rent it in two.

For a moment, Ginny wondered if a dragon had performed such a feat. It would have to have been a fully grown one several decades old at least in order to do such a great show of strength. But it seemed that that was the only way possible. It also gave rise to why it was so cold in the room.

Falling through the roof and coating every surrounding surface in a blanket of white was a thick layer of fresh fallen snow.

It was silently coming down around her and landing on Ginny's fiery locks, also coating her in white.

 _How on earth is it snowing this far south?_ Ginny wondered to herself.

She returned her gaze to the chair at the end of the room and tried to focus on it rather than on how cold she was becoming.

Slowly the red head walked toward it and the closer she became she was more and more aware of how ugly it was.

She had never seen such a hideous looking chair in her life. It appeared to be made of a collection of melted down swords and appeared very uncomfortable. The blades of the swords formed the back of the chair and were sharpened to points which made her imagine that someone might just as easily cut themselves on this chair as sit in it.

It was clearly a throne for that of a conqueror. Ginny imagined that whoever had first fashioned this seat had taken all the swords of his enemies and melted them down to form a chair for himself that everyone might remember. It was clearly more a symbol than a throne and Ginny imagined this piece of décor would serve as a reminder to everyone who looked on it that whoever had sat on this chair was someone to be feared and obeyed because of what they had done to their enemies.

But now it was empty….empty, cold and dead.

 _What happened here?_ Ginny wondered to herself, forgetting for the moment that she was trying to seek her own way out of this strange place.

She walked closer to the throne and up the steps until she was standing at the top of the dais before the very throne itself.

It was even uglier and more grotesque up close as opposed to when she had seen it in her dream but Ginny had a feeling that what she was seeing in this room was only the aftermath of a great battle that had taken place for it and what she was seeing was the devastating effects of what a loss meant.

In a way it almost reminded her of the way that Hogwarts might look if Voldemort had survived the final battle and decided to make Hogwarts the seat of his rule.

 _Or perhaps this was the way it would look if everyone good and bad had died in that battle.  
_

There were no bodies on the floor of this throne room but she could just imagine them lying there, strewn about in the positions they were in before they died.

She shivered again and this time it wasn't from the cold.

 _Why am I seeing this?_ She wondered to herself _. It obviously seems like this is extremely import but I have no idea why I am seeing it again for a second time and that I'm awake to.  
_

She took a step closer to the throne and hesitantly reached out a hand towards it, wondering for a moment what it would be like to sit in that chair.

It had no sooner crossed her mind when sitting down on the throne became suddenly infinitely more appealing and Ginny began to feel a strong pull towards it.

She took another step until she was within touching distance of the throne if she would just reach out her hand towards it.

As if in a trance, Ginny slowly raised her hand to do so and was stopped only when she heard a sound behind her.

It was almost like a high pitched screech although she knew it hadn't come from any dragon.

A cold feeling settled in the pit of her stomach and Ginny swallowed hard before turning away from the throne to face the sound of the noise.

When she did so, a hand flew to her mouth to stifle her scream.

Standing a few feet behind her was the creature straight out of her nightmares. It was taller than she was and appeared to have skin made of glass or ice although given where she was ice seemed more appropriate. Its cold features were chiseled into an expression of utter malice and Ginny could feel the depth of its hatred.

 _It's even uglier in person._

It had no hair although there appeared to be an odd version of a crown on its head but the spires of said crown seemed to be coming right out of its forehead, making Ginny shudder in disgust.

Its eyes were the most icy blue she had ever seen and much lighter than her own sapphire orbs. They stared at her unblinkingly and it took a step towards her.

Ginny backed up until she was against the throne itself and the torch fell from her trembling fingers.

The creature issued another screech from its horrible mouth and moved closer until it as standing right in front of her.

It reached out a hand as if to touch her and Ginny held her breath.

Just then she heard a clanging sound from nearby and she opened her eyes to see a twinkling of silver behind her on the throne.

It was the sword of Gryffindor.

And it wasn't the one she had seen Neville pull out of the hat at Hogwarts either. This was the one that had been encased in glass beneath Sirius's villa in the vault. It seemed to shine silver in the grey light and the rubies in the pommel seemed as dark as blood.

Without even thinking Ginny reached behind her, seized the sword and drove it through the creature's torso with all of her might.

There was a long pause as the monster looked down at its chest and seemed to realize what had happened. The moment this occurred however, the monster itself shattered into a million pieces as if it were made of glass.

Ginny was standing there with the Valyrian steel great sword in her hand and breathing hard as if she had just run a marathon.

 _What the bloody hell was that?!_

She glanced down at the sword, expecting to see ice forming on it, but it appeared as unblemished as when she had seen it the first time.

She could only ponder why this particular sword had chosen to appear to her now. The name of Godric Gryffindor was still etched into the hilt of the blade beside his son Edric's and unless it was Ginny's imagination, the words seemed to shine even brighter than before, making her feel a little better.

 _I have to get out of here._

All of a sudden, she heard another familiar screech and her blood ran cold.

The red head looked up from the sword to see that whatever that creature was, it must have had friends because rising from the piles all around the room were dozens of the things. They all had peculiar swords that looked to be made of glass in their hands and their ice blue eyes were all fixed on her.

Septimus hissed on her shoulder and Ginny glanced quickly at the small dragon, remembering what the larger version of him had done in her dream.

This time however, there was no fully grown Septimus to save her.

 _Fire works on them,_ she thought desperately. _I need to use fire!_

She took a deep breath and steeled herself to use one of the deadliest spells she knew. It would take a lot out of her, but she had a feeling that now that she wasn't in the dream world, these things could hurt her and she needed to use every weapon at her disposal.

So the red head shut her eyes and her teeth and held out her hand, "Incendio!"

Instantly the body of the nearest creature was set ablaze and it shrieked in agony.

Ginny wasted no time in this small victory and immediately set the bodies of the rest of the creatures on fire.

The throne room was filled with multiple shrieks of agony and pain as the corpses of ice staggered toward her, determined to finish the job their leader had started and wring the life out of her.

Ginny however had no intention of letting that happen and so she looked around desperately for another way out of the throne room that was now covered in smoke and flames.

And when she turned around, she remembered the door she had come through and dashed towards it as fast as possible.

She could still hear the shrieks of the creatures behind her but she paid them no mind as she grasped the knob and yanked it open before she dashed inside and slammed it shut behind her.

The red head stood there for a moment, leaning her head against the door and breathing hard as she tried to calm her racing heartbeat.

 _Seven hells that was ten times worse than the dream I had. Why on earth would they show me that?_

She stayed there, leaning against the door for a few minutes before she managed to pull herself together and turned back around expecting to see the audience chamber of the Undying once more.

But instead, she turned around to find that she was in a beautiful garden.

It was nighttime and there were bright stars shining overhead along with a full moon. She could hear the sounds of the ocean in the distance and smell the salt air on the breeze.

The garden she was standing in was surrounded by beautiful flowers that almost appeared as if they were glowing. The sweet scent of them was on the air and Ginny took a deep breath, glad that she finally seemed to be somewhere where she might find some peace at least for a little while.

The garden was small and circular and there seemed to be a stone flower bed full of the glowing buds in the shape of a C.

Standing just outside of the flowerbed were several towering weirwood trees that Ginny imagined would be excellent for providing shade as well from the heat of the sun.

Now the trees were helping to shuffle in a cool night breeze into the garden.

Just then the sound of a tiny mewling cry caught Ginny's attention and she whirled around, still gripping the sword of Gryffindor with Septimus on her shoulder, ready for a fight.

Instead, what she saw at the far end of the garden, sitting on a bench made her eyes widen and her jaw go slack.

It was _her._

That was to say that Ginny saw herself sitting on a bench in the garden full of glowing flowers. The other Ginny was older than the one who had come into the House of the Undying but only by a few years.

This Ginny was in her early twenties perhaps and she was even taller, and even more beautiful than Ginny had ever thought it possible for her to look. Her long scarlet curls hung almost to her waist and her eyes were as blue as the Jade Sea, her skin the palest of ivories.

She was wearing a deep blue dress that had a plunging neckline and bared the small of her back. There were pearls and sapphires woven into her flame red hair and on her finger was a silver ring.

But it was not the physical adornments that caught and held the younger Ginny's attention….it was the fact that the older Ginny had a child nestled in her arms.

It was a little boy, she could tell and his hair was a beautiful silvery blonde, the kind of hair that had been best known for the Malfoy family trait but somehow on this little boy it looked so beautiful.

As if in a trance, Ginny wandered closer to the older version of herself, unable to do anything but look.

When she was looking over the shoulder of her older self, she saw that the baby's eyes were open and she gasped when she saw her own sapphire blue eyes reflected back.

 _What is this?_ She thought her hands trembling.

"My beautiful little boy," the older Ginny whispered to the baby nestled in her arms. "My little Daemon. You'll never know the hardship I had to endure growing up in a world at war. You'll never know insanity or war, or grief. I promise you I will ensure that you are happy. I just wish my mother could have met you….she would have loved you."

The older Ginny's voice broke on the last word and younger Ginny was hard pressed to stop the tears from falling again herself.

Somehow she knew she was looking at an older version of herself, a future that may or may not happen where she had a child and was obviously very happy.

 _But who is the father?_ Younger Ginny wondered to herself. _Who did I marry in order for this to be possible?_

"There you are."

Both Ginnys looked up at the sound of an unfamiliar voice.

It was only the younger Ginny that gasped though.

For standing at the edge of the garden staring right at the older version of herself was the most beautiful man Ginny had ever seen in her entire life.

He had pale silvery blonde hair just like the babe resting in her arms and deep violet eyes that were looking at her with an incredibly soft hue to them. His body was lean and powerful and as hard as the blade of a knife.

The tunic he was wearing was a dark blue which gave him an even more striking look and highlighted every muscle in his upper body. There was a sword at his waist but his hand was nowhere near it.

Instead his arms were folded across his chest and he was looking at the older version of her as if she were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

The look in his eyes, one of pure unadulterated love made younger Ginny want to cry all over again and she had no idea who this man was. But the one thing she did know was that this was obviously the baby Daemon's father.

Older Ginny smiled gently at him. "I've been out here the whole time my love."

The man nodded and walked closer. "I had been looking for you. Lord Tyrell is one of those nobles who just can't seem to listen to sense."

"It seems as if that's the case with many of the nobles here," older Ginny muttered and the man laughed.

"Be that as it may my love we need to properly entertain them all. The last thing we need is hurt feelings and bruised egos. Alliances aren't made that way."

He walked closer as older Ginny huffed and if it was possible, his eyes grew even softer when he saw the baby in her arms. "Is he asleep?"

"Yes."

Younger Ginny watched as the beautiful man sat down on the bench and shifted her older self so she was sitting somewhat in his lap. He wrapped an arm tightly around her waist and tilted her head so he could kiss her very gently.

Younger Ginny watched with a lump in her throat at the obvious and very public display of love between an older Ginevra and this unknown man. He was obviously a very important noble but that was really all she could tell.

"He's beautiful isn't he?" Older Ginny said wistfully and the man who was her husband smiled. "And he has his mother's eyes. I remember when I looked at you for the first time I never thought I had seen eyes so blue in my life. I recall thinking that someone must have taken drops of the Jade Sea and placed them on your eyes when you were young."

Older Ginny scoffed and looked down at her son. "I hope you don't grow up to be as eloquent as your father little one."

"And why not? Daemon should be exactly like me."

"Hmm perhaps not exactly like you."

Unbidden, tears had formed in younger Ginny's eyes as she watched her older self and a man whose identity was unknown be so obviously in love.

 _Who is he?_ She thought desperately to herself. _How did I get here? Is this real? Will this happen? Is this the future….or is someone toying with me?_

She was shocked at the sharp stabbing pain that filled her chest when she thought of the possibility that this could all be a game….that it might not exist.

Because the truth was, though she had no idea who this man was, or how her older self had gotten to this point…..she wanted this…..badly.

She hadn't even realized how badly until she had seen it.

This older Ginny had a handsome husband who adored her and his child nestled in her arms.

Marriage wasn't something that the sixteen year old Ginny had thought about at all when she had unceremoniously fallen through the Veil into Qarth, but now here it was….right in front of her face.

She turned her face away as hot tears ran down her cheeks as the older Ginny and her husband exchanged soft kisses and touches while they looked down at their son.

 _Why am I being shown this?_ She thought. _Is this simply another way for the Undying to torture me into giving in to what they want? Because if it is…..than I feel like its working._

She turned back to the scene before her and took a deep shuddering breath. As painful as it was, she wanted to gaze on it for as long as possible so it would be a reminder of how happy she could be. Of life might have been like.

Older Ginny wrapped her free arm about her husband's shoulder and leaned her cheek against the top of his head. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and breathed deeply.

"I love you," he said quietly. "You know that don't you?"

A beautiful smile crossed older Ginny's face and she turned his face towards her so she could look at him. "I know. I love you too."

She leaned down and gently brushed her lips across his.

Younger Ginny had to force herself to look away at that point and pressed a fist to her mouth to keep the sobs in.

It wasn't fair.

She would never have this…..so why were the Undying torturing her with something that would never be?

 _Maybe to break me,_ she thought bitterly to herself. _They want me to stay here forever and if I am able to lose myself in this odd reality than perhaps that's what they think will convince me to stay._

She scrubbed furiously at her eyes that were pooling hot tears and looked up once more to see the scene one more time.

Ginny then gave a small cry of dismay when she realized she was back in the audience chamber of the Undying and said members who held that name were back sitting in their chairs around the table.

With a furious growl, she stalked toward them. "I've played enough of your little games. Now, where. Are. The. Children?"

There was no answer right away and Ginny reached the chair where the blonde bastard was sitting and grabbed it before reaching out and wrenching it towards her.

What was sitting in the chair made her stumble backwards with a hand over her mouth to hide her scream.

Now she fully remembered what Sirius told her before she entered this place.

All the beings sitting in chairs around the table were no longer the beautiful people she had spoken to before but decaying decrepit creatures with blue skin and eyes and long teeth.

The one who had once been blonde rose from his chair and started towards her with a grim smile on his face. "They're here…but you'll have to find them first."

And that was when the definition of blood on the floor really came into play for Ginevra Gryffindor.

As the rest of the blue skinned Undying rose to their feet from the table and effectively cornered her, Ginny realized she wasn't going to get out of this without getting some blood on her hands.

She refused to apparate out like a little coward before she found the children and if the House of the Undying had as many magic properties as she had seen, she wasn't sure trying to leave the unconventional way would work.

In the span of time it took for her to think this, the Undying had her utterly surrounded.

"Now will you let us teach you?" one of them asked.

Ginny surprised herself by laughing. "Before or after you drain me of my blood and feast on my flesh so you can keep up the appearance that you aren't blue skinned monsters?"

This apparently revealed to them that the gig was up because before Ginny knew it, they were upon her.

With a wave of her hand, she sent one flying into one of the pillars and stabbed another in the gut with the sword of Gryffindor, causing it to illicit a horrifying screech.

Septimus was hissing furiously on her shoulder and the moment of them got too close to her, he would open his maw and shoot a jet of flames towards them lighting them on fire.

It didn't take long before hundreds more blue skinned monsters were pouring into the room.

Ginny looked around her in horror. _How many of these bastards are there?_

She was beginning to tire and just managed to duck when one of the Undying threw themselves towards her.

Just then she heard a sound that was more welcome than any that she had ever heard before.

"Ginny!"

The red head looked up in shock to see that Sirius had somehow entered the room and was fighting his way towards her.

The expression on her adoptive father's face was ferocious and for one instant, Ginny caught a glimpse of the man he must have been when he was a part of the Second Sons.

 _I must have been gone longer than half an hour,_ she thought absently.

They fought their way towards each other through the maze of the Undying that were crowding in upon them.

As soon as they were back to back, Septimus surprised Ginny by unleashing a roar of flame that had the two of them completely surrounded by a ring of fire with the Undying on the outside.

"How did you get in here?" Ginny demanded as she gave her adoptive father a quick hug.

"Didn't I tell you that I was giving you a half an hour to get in here, get the children and get out? I was serious about that Ginny, you've been gone longer than half an hour. I was coming in after you."

He paused and glanced around the Undying who were just outside of the circle of flames that were surrounding him and Ginny. "Looks like I was just in time too."

"I had it handled," the red head protested.

"I can see that," he said wryly.

"Did you find the children?" she asked, in no mood for his teasing. "Not yet. That damn bastard Pree said one had to follow all the rules in order to get to the audience chamber of the Undying so I did."

"Is he still waiting outside?"

"In a manner of speaking," Sirius said grimly. "He's dead. I had to kill him when he refused to let me go in."

"I appreciate the tenacity father," Ginny said with a grim smile. "But I have a feeling we're paying for it now."

"Well then there's only one way to pay back our debts," Sirius replied. "Let's kill these pricks, get the kids and get the hell out of here. I mean to burn this place to the ground with Fiendfyre."

"Sounds good to me."

And then they got to work.

Ginny used more magic in the House of the Undying than she had in the two months since she had come to Qarth. When you are using every muscle and sense and reflex to the full however, you don't have time to contemplate your actions, you just act.

Time seemed to slow in a haze of blue skin and crazed eyes and long teeth while Ginny dispatched with the Undying alongside of her adoptive father and Septimus set fire to the ones that got too close.

When she wasn't using her magic, she was using the sword of Gryffindor to cut off or cut through the Undying

But as many as they took care of, there always seemed to be more coming and after a few minutes, Ginny realized with horror that there were too many of them.

She would need to do something drastic in order to end this or she and Sirius were both dead.

So she did.

After taking a deep breath, Ginny hissed out the word to the spell that she had used what seemed like a lifetime ago in the Department of Mysteries.

 _"Multiplio."_

The effects were instantaneous.

Immediately she felt a searing pain in her chest as if she were being ripped apart and doubled over.

Sirius let out a muffled curse in the next minute and she knew the spell had done its work.

A second later, the screeches of the Undying cut off and there was the sound of multiple thumps of bodies dropping to the ground.

Ginny dropped to her knees, sighing in relief as the pain in her chest faded but barely able to stand as the fatigue was making her dizzy.

Sirius dropped to his knees beside her. "Hey are you alright?"

She nodded.

"What the bloody hell was that?" he demanded.

Ginny took a few deep breaths before she was able to push herself back onto her knees and gave him a weak laugh. "I learned it in the restricted section in my last year of school. It's a spell that basically splits you into multiple people so you can be in more than one place at once. It's very handy when you want to kill people."

"I should say so," Sirius muttered as he looked around the room at all of the downed blue bodies.

"I'm not sure if I'll be able to use any more magic today without hurting myself as that spell puts a serious drain on your core," Ginny muttered. "I'll be lucky if I can even apparate out of this god forsaken place."

"You let me worry about the magic," Sirius muttered helping her to her feet. "Now come on, I think we need to get out of here."

His words were punctuated by the sound of a pounding on one of the doors in the audience chamber.

"That must be the rest of the warlocks," Ginny whispered. "Someone must have heard the fight."

Sirius looked at her urgently. "Let's go."

Ω

After that, it was surprisingly easy.

They found the children being guarded in a room on one of the lower levels of the ground floor of the House of the Undying.

With a wave of his hand, Sirius broke the neck of the warlock guarding them before the bald bastard could even blink and Ginny hurried to break the chains of the children who were crying out in relief when they saw her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a shaking Vellaena reach out and hug Sirius to which he returned.

As soon as the children were free, Ginny had them all join hands and she and Sirius and Vellaena led them outside.

As soon as she felt the sun on her face, Ginny wanted to drop to her knees and sing hallelujah.

She turned to her father who was glaring at the House of the Undying with a look of abject hatred on his face after he had led Vellaena and the children off to the side beneath the trees so they might rest as many of them were looking scared and startled.

"I think it's time we actually reduce this place to a palace of dust," she muttered and he nodded.

And so with the help of Septimus, she and Sirius lit the House of the Undying ablaze with Fiendfyre and though Ginny was drained after, it seemed that getting out of that place had helped restore some of her energy

As soon as that accursed place was reduced to a literal palace of dust, and all the warlocks and Undying in it were dead, Ginny turned to her father and gave him a hug.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For not listening to me when I told you not to come in after me. I don't think I would have made it out of there alive otherwise."

"Sure you would have," he replied. "You would have thought of something."

They were interrupted a moment later by cheers and Sirius, Ginny, Vellaena and the rest of the children turned around to see that they had attracted quite a crowd with the flames.

It turned out that word had gotten around the city of what Prat Pree and the warlocks had done in kidnapping the children although Ginny had no idea who had spread the word and a crowd of people along with several terrified parents had congregated outside of the house of the Undying to see if their children were being rescued.

As the dust cleared and the smoke settled on the old pile of rubble the sound of cheers could be heard from the gathered crowd, along with the chant of "Gryffindor."

As Sirius and Ginny turned to face the crowd that had gathered the relief on many of the people's faces was plain to see. It was obvious that the warlocks had been hated and feared throughout the city.

"Gryffindor! Gryffindor! Gryffindor!"

All around them the chant for her and Sirius's name was going up, surprisingly along with a few calls of King Sirius and Princess Ginevra.

Ginny cast a look at her adoptive father and smiled. "It seems the people have chosen a new leader."

He looked at her incredulously. "Me?"

"Yes you. Now that the Thirteen are dead, along with Xaro Daxos and the warlocks and Undying are no more, all the opposition we might have faced here is gone. You are now indisputably the King of Qarth."

"Ginny's right," Vellaena said as she appeared next to him. Her face was smudged with ashes and her dress was torn but she appeared none the worse for wear. "The people want you as their leader. And it appears that they won't have anyone else."

Sirius looked out over the crowd who were busy chanting his and Ginny's names as they were some kind of saviour and slowly a smile wound its way across his face before he turned to his adoptive daughter.

"King Sirius Gryffindor of Qarth and his daughter Princess Ginevra," he mused. "I think I like the sound of that."

"From the looks of it the people do as well," Ginny muttered.

She was still feeling drained from what she had seen in the House of the Undying, but for the moment she pushed it aside. "What is your first decree your grace?"

Sirius still looked a little shell shocked but the people had spoken. He was now a king.

"Very well then," he said in the authoritative tone that he only used when he was speaking to his men. "First we need to return the children to their families."

"And then?" Ginny asked.

"What is a kingdom without an army to protect it?" Sirius asked. "After we see to the city, we need to find one that will do just that."

Ginny looked out over the crowd and gave a grim smile. This would be a day that she would always remember as the day change was brought to Essos and the day that the reign of King Sirius Gryffindor began.

Ω

 **Sorry for the long wait between updates everybody. But hopefully the fact that this is a much longer chapter than normal makes up for it. Several of the visions that Ginny saw here were identical to the ones in a Clash of Kings when Dany was in the House of the Undying. And yes the last one she was saw, that was also Rhaegar as you all know by now that he is going to be the main love interest in this story. I did want to throw a little romance up in here. Anyway, I will try to update the next chapter as soon as possible. Don't forget to review and enjoy!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

After that it was surprisingly easy.

Sirius and Ginny returned the children to their worried and now relieved parents who thanked them profusely and then went about making a speech about how the common people had been mistreated by the Thirteen and the Warlocks for too long.

Sirius said if he was going to be their new leader, he would rule them justly and fairly with the help of his daughter Ginevra and that they would return Qarth to a city that all of Essos would envy.

The people seemed to respond well to the fact that their new leader would have their interests at heart and that he and his daughter would care for not only their physical wellbeing but also their emotional state given the fact that they would go into a highly dangerous not to mention deeply magical place to rescue their children.

That led to Sirius having to make even more speeches about his plans for the future of Qarth and that it would become only one city connected to that of a great empire, the greatest the world had ever seen and that Essos would be the envy of the known world once more.

If there was one thing that her adoptive father was good at, it was making speeches.

Ginny could practically see the Gryffindor lion coming out of him as these words were given and knew that Sirius was in his element. Gryffindors were brave and bold and what was bolder than the taking of an empire and the forging of a kingdom unlike any the world had ever seen?

The people also seemed to be similarly shocked but no less enthused by Sirius's plans for Qarth and the rest of the cities in Essos. There was an enormous amount of applause that continually punctuated her adoptive father's speeches and Sirius often had to pause and wait for quiet before he was able to continue.

There appeared to be a good deal of questions as to what he would do now that the Thirteen and Xaro Daxos were dead along with the warlocks and the Undying.

Sirius answered that by stating that in place of the building where the House of the Undying had once stood, he would be commissioning that a hall of justice be built so that those who had committed wrong within Qarth's walls would be brought to justice.

He would be commissioning several people of his own choosing to serve as judges in this new Judicial Hall.

Upon discovering that they would have retribution from all that they had suffered, this only made Sirius more popular.

There would also be a city watch walking the streets and lining the walls of Qarth to serve as sentries for those who acted without impunity under the cover of night.

Sirius said he would commission men for that task which would be determined later.

For now, he and his daughter would be retiring to their villa and tomorrow, the process of rebuilding Qarth to a place of glory would begin tomorrow. Starting with the abolition of the slave trade throughout the city.

"It has been my chief desire since I settled in this great city to crush this vile traffic in man's flesh. As of this moment and for all times to come inside of Qarth, I declare every slave in this city free. Those who have purchased slaves in good faith will be recompensed out of the generous treasury that the Thirteen have left behind for us as well as my own purse. For the moment, there is a warehouse owned by myself and my daughter down on the waterfront where the former slaves may spend their night until the morning where my daughter and I will begin the process of finding housing and occupations for them. I will not have this turn into a city that does not know how to feed itself or not know the work of their hands. Long ago this magnificent city was built with sweat and blood and tears. I would have us not forget that, nor the sacrifices that our ancestors made to make it great!"

This speech produced excellent results and the cheering of the crowd was so great that Ginny thought surely it would continue on throughout the night.

It wasn't until they were back inside the walls of the villa that she allowed herself to take a deep breath.

She didn't even realize that she was shaking until Sirius pulled her into his arms and rubbed his hands up and down her back to soothe her.

"Are you alright dear?" he asked and the concern in his voice was so great that she almost wanted to weep.

"I'm okay," she said after a long moment. "But that was….one of the strangest things I have ever experienced in my life."

He nodded. "I have had the misfortune of being told numerous times that the House of the Undying is not for the faint of heart and to enter it and survive the sights within, that one must show great constancy."

"I suppose I should take that as a compliment then," Ginny replied and Septimus who was still on her shoulder, squeaked a bit at being crushed.

The moment they were outside and the dust had settled, Ginny had disillusioned the small dragon again.

Having Septimus in there had been a great comfort, but the last thing she wanted was to make it public knowledge that she an Sirius were keeping one before Qarth was completely theirs. Septimus was still no longer than her forearm at this point and she wanted to wait until he was big enough to defend himself before anyone might seek to do him harm.

"That was quite the day we had," Sirius said as he led the two of them back to the terrace where they might enjoy a light dinner before discussing their plans.

As Missandei was the only servant that had survived the assault because she had been with Ginny at the time, she would serve them.

While Ginny had been preparing herself to go to the House of the Undying, Sirius had ensured that the servants who had been killed in his service were given a proper burial. It was the least he could do for them.

"That was quite a speech you made out there father," Ginny said wryly as they sat down on the terrace to eat.

The sun had already gone in and the clouds were a lovely pink and gold and blue color as the dying rays of the sun lit them.

Once Missandei had placed the food in front of them, Sirius gave her the rest of the evening off as he was sure it had been a trying day for her too.

Miraculously, one of the only other servants who had survived was the cook and his assistant who had locked themselves in the pantry when they heard the forced entry of the house and had been too afraid to leave until they had heard the return of Sirius and Ginny to the villa the first time.

Needless to say, Theophilus had been very glad to see that his master and mistress had not been harmed.

Dinner consisted of few words and silent munching as both father and daughter had a myriad of things on their mind.

Sirius was considering the future of Qarth and some of the reforms he was going to have to put in place to account for the loss of the slave trade.

The Thirteen had left behind an enormous amount of wealth that could be used to build the Judicial Hall as well as the necessary hospitals and homes for those former slaves who had been freed.

Then they would need to go about finding occupations so that the streets would not be filled with beggars once again like it had been before.

Crime would not be tolerated and certain safeguards would have to be put in place in order for it to go down.

A city council would be needed as well, someone to deal with economics, ships, trade, crime. He would have need of his own small council. Sirius was already beginning to commission a particularly magical test to ensure the absolute loyalty of his subjects. It would require magic, but neither of them would know that.

At least not yet.

In the meantime, Ginny's thoughts were a million miles away on the visions she had had in the House of the Undying.  
Chief among them was the throne room covered in snow and filled with those awful looking ice monsters. It seemed that they had brought an eternal winter to the world and all those who might have opposed them had been wiped out.

The sword that Ginny had used to kill one had vanished from her hand as soon as she had left the House of the Undying and she was now sure was back in the vault beneath the villa.

That vision seemed to be a promise and a warning of things that were to come.

And then there was the other one.

Ginny felt a sharp stabbing pain fill her chest when she thought of that one. The one of her and the beautiful man in the gardens of an unknown palace with their child in her arms….that was one should wouldn't forget for a long time. Possibly never.

She had felt the emotions coming from her older self and had been overwhelmed by what she had absorbed.

This older Ginny _loved_ this man and their child with a fierceness that scared her younger self. She didn't think it was possible to love anyone with that kind of ferocity. She didn't even think it would have been possible for her to love Harry like that had things turned out differently and she hadn't fallen into Qarth. The fact that she felt so much for this man whom she had never met before and didn't even know his name was terrifying.

It was also one of the most incredible things she had ever felt and Ginny was desperate to find out whether it was real or not.

She had to know if what she had seen in there was a hallucination or a possible future of something to come.

Because if that was what she had to look forward to…..

Ginny couldn't even formulate a coherent thought for what that made her feel like.

 _I do want to remember that vision,_ she thought to herself. _That man, that child, how I felt in that moment for the rest of my life because if I do, I will always have something to compare that happiness to. It will always be a reminder that that is what my happiness should look like and if I attain it than there is no way I will ever be happier. That vision was the pinnacle of my happiness. That will be as good as it is going to get for me._

The thought scared her, but it was also very final.

"Ginny?"

The red head looked up to see Sirius looking at her concern. "Yes?"

"Are you alright? I've been talking to you for the past two minutes and all you've been doing is staring out at the ocean with a blank look on your face."

Ginny gave her adoptive father a sheepish smile. "When your father figure declares he is going to be the king of something and you will a princess just by relation it does tend to make one think deep thoughts."

There was no way she was going to tell him what her visions had been…..at least not yet. And she definitely wasn't going to say anything about the one with her older self. That one was just too….personal, too raw to share yet.

Sirius smirked at her. "This is going to signal some very big changes I know. For one, I'll probably have to wear a crown and sit on a throne and delegate. That's going to be rather difficult. I am a man of action. You know that don't you?"

"I'm probably more aware of that than anyone else in this entire city," Ginny said with a returning smirk of her own. "Plus it's not only the running of a city and eventually an empire that we're going to have to worry about."

"I have a feeling you have a few things to say," Sirius said. "So to start with, a to-do list for Qarth only is a good idea."

With a flick of his hand he summoned a piece of parchment and a quill and prepared to write. "I'm sensing you have some ideas."

"I do," Ginny said as she pushed her plate aside and folded her hands in her lap. "To start with, there are far more slaves in this city than there are masters and owners. We need to find ways to give them occupations so they will feel as if they are contributing to society and won't rise up against us. I propose we form our own naval fleet."

Sirius's eyes shot up to his hairline. "That was one of the last things I thought you were going to say. Go on."

Ginny nodded. "Qarth does have ships but they are mostly used for trading to the other cities in Essos and thus would be useless if we were ever attacked. The slavers from places like Astapor, Mereen and Yunkai will not take kindly to the fact that they are losing income from a place like Qarth and they might wish to come here and try to…..coerce you to reopen the slave trade so they can make up what they've lost."

"And we need to have a way to defend ourselves," Sirius concluded. "I also think that some of those former slaves would do well on a fleet like that if they were properly trained by some of my men who have been raised in the art of fighting. They will be paid for their service of course."

"The ones who don't wish to fight can be put to work on the trading ships," Ginny suggested. "Some of them will be in charge of fishing and trading goods in the other cities. An envoy must go with them to look out for interests in these other place. We don't want to be taken advantage of."

Sirius smirked at. "I declare my daughter how much we've both become Slytherins in the last few months of being here."

Ginny shrugged. "It's kind of become necessary to be both. We're essentially Qartheen royalty now. We're going to have to be shrewd…..and there's really nothing wrong with that. There's a difference between being honest and being naïve. We can be both honorable people and people who are not afraid to get our hands dirty at the same time."

"Well said," her adoptive father replied. "And now to the matter of increasing economic income into this city. I believe that those who do not know how to sew and read should be taught to do so and those woman who have made a habit of selling their bodies for money can be taught to sell their wares instead. Qarth is famous for its exotic textiles and precious metals."

The money that is also left over from the estate of the late Xaro Daxos can be used to buy materials to erect a hospital in Qarth," Ginny suggested once Sirius had taken a breath. "I find it beyond appalling that only the wealthy can afford a doctor."

"If that's the case than we need to begin looking into materials that had be used as supplements in potions. We may have to begin creating our own charms as well," Sirius said and Ginny blew out a breath. "There is certainly a lot to do. I have a feeling it is going to take months to get Qarth in order the way we want it to be. And after that it is going to take even longer to get to the other cities and convert them into respectable places once more as well. This is not to mention the opposition that it is an almost certainty that we will face from those who don't wish to have their lifestyles changed. The forging of an empire could take years and –"

"And it will all be worth it in the end," Sirius said reaching over so he could take her hand and squeeze it gently. "Because we will be improving the quality of life for those millions of slaves and oppressed across Essos. But in the meantime, as soon as Qarth is in order, we need to make our way to Astapor. I think it's time we purchased an army."

Ω

The following day after their plans were made, great change was brought about already. Those slaves that Sirius and Ginny had freed seemed quite eager at the idea of serving themselves and making a living for themselves. It turned out that a great deal of the female former slaves knew how to sew and to cook and clean as that was essentially what they had been bought and sold for.

In a speech that actually went on for several hours outside the villa, Sirius explained that those who wished to serve on the new naval fleet that he and Ginny were constructing should meet down by the wharfs of Qarth at dawn the following morning. Those who wished to serve on the merchant ships would meet some of Sirius's other merchants down at the wharfs at the same time.

Those males and females who had a talent for healing and caring for the sick as well as those midwives and healers who were looking for work would be serving in the newly constructed hospital that would soon be built.

Those stone masons and former slaves who had been bought for their prowess in labour would be helping to build it, for coin of course.

The markets would be expanded to include more wares and that wealth that the Thirteen and Xaro Daxos had left behind would be used in the construction of hospitals, more homes and the Judiciary Hall that would be built on the dust of the House of the Undying.

Finally, more schools would be built to build on the progress that Sirius and Ginny had already made with Qarth's children.

The speed with which everything was accomplished was dizzying to Ginny. She had underestimate just how badly the people had a desire for change and that once presented with it, they would move towards it without delay.

It was overwhelming, but at the same time, very pleasing as well.

Over the course of the next several weeks, Qarth was a whirlwind of activity.

Ginny and Sirius saw to the affairs of the Thirteen and Xaro Daxos and used the funds they had hoarded for themselves to construct a hospital as well as a school in record time.

The builders worked day and night until a pristine hospital had been erected with maesters who were ready to serve in it who might be paid out of the inordinate funds of the Thirteen.

No one had been very fond of the city's previous leaders and so it was seen as just deserts that their deaths would be used to bring peace and prosperity to the city.

Ginny meanwhile poured all of her efforts into helping with the schools and creating kitchens for the poor, places where those beggars could go and eat without spending a single coin. She removed every child off the streets of Qarth and ensuring they had warm places to sleep in and a full belly at night.

The people were already calling her "mhysa" which meant mother, a term that Ginny was a little uncomfortable about but Sirius claimed that it was good for them to have someone to look up to as opposed to having no one.

The people were already calling Sirius the Gryphon King because of the new banner he had erected over the villa, a golden gryphon on a field of black. The legends of Gryphons and how the ancient Valyrians used them along with the dragons to obliterate the Ghiscari people were still known in Essos. The fact that Sirius was now flying a gryphon banner as the sigil of his new kingdom was significant enough that it was being talked about in the streets. The fact that he was also a king that didn't shy away from his work and sometimes joined in with the training and building process of the hospitals and school as well as those training of the former slaves was something that earned him respect in leaps and bounds.

Within two months, Ginny was shocked to realize that they had secured the absolute loyalty of the people of Qarth.

The schools were filled to bursting with children, the two hospitals they had built were running smoothly and Sirius had erected a small council that fit his standards.

They had had to look through dozens of candidates to find people who would be honest, hardworking and loyal to both himself and Ginny as well as Qarth above all others. Not taking bribes was crucial as that was something that would not be stood for.

The candidates they had interviewed had undergone a rather vigorous interview process.

Firstly, a glass of wine with an extremely strong sleeping agent was placed in front of them when they arrived at the villa to be interviewed.

They believed it was simply a gracious gesture of King Sirius and his daughter Princess Ginevra whom he would be speaking with. Ten minutes later, they would inevitably fall asleep due to the agent placed in the wine and Sirius would use Legilimency on them to determine their base intentions.

If what they saw in a person's mind was not to their liking, if he was a man to bribe and steal and cheat than they would ensure he had the antidote to the sleeping potion and awakened him immediately to tell him he wouldn't be a good fit for the position they had in mind.

Of course this would lead to some hurt feelings, but those were easily dealt with.

After dozens of these types of interviews, they had finally found several decent men and a few women as well to serve on the small council of King Sirius Gryffindor.

Her adoptive father's new title and that of her own as princess would definitely take some getting used to.

Ginny had barely had time to breathe in the last two months since she and Sirius had burned the House of the Undying to the ground and change had been brought about in Qarth.

She could already see the difference they were making in the city. There were fewer beggars now and the streets were cleaner. There wasn't an air of tension in the air like there had been before and the harbor was bustling with trade.

The newly implemented city watch had been working overtime and was a great success. Crime had decreased as prices had been lowered and there was no need to steal. The hospitals and schools were flourishing and Ginny was working around the clock to come up with potions that would cure ailments for what the poor were facing.

She would often assist in the hospitals and with schools herself because she was used to getting her hands dirty.

If there was one thing that Molly Weasley had taught her, it was how to be a hard worker and Ginny didn't shy away when there was a task to be completed.

If anything it earned her the respect of the people as well.

If they saw their princess working alongside them like one of the common folk, it showed that she cared about their wellbeing and would not only earn her respect, but also love.

And that was what Ginny was hoping for.

If the people knew that they had leaders that were serious about looking out for them than it would make them that much more loyal and eager to follow them.

She and Sirius were going about building an empire so that was essential. Absolute loyalty from the people that served them was something that would go a lot farther than gold. It would also make people think twice about rebelling.

A just and fair ruler like she was sure Sirius was going to be was important for the people to see.

One only had to look across the Narrow Sea in order to see an example of what not to do in order to be a king.

Sirius had been keeping an eye on the situation with Aerys Targaryen for some years now and it was only due to the Hand of the King Tywin Lannister that the kingdom hadn't descended into civil war because of how mad Aerys was.

Ginny knew her own adoptive father would be a much better king than the made dragon of Westeros.

She was a little biased in that regard, but Ginny truly didn't think one could compare Aerys Targaryen and Qarth's new king Sirius Gryffindor.

Word had already begun to spread in the last two months since they had burned The House of the Undying to the ground that Qarth had opted out of the slave trade because of an overturn in leadership which was causing a good deal of conversation throughout Essos.

 _Let them talk,_ Ginny thought smugly. _Soon that is all they will be able to do._

Ω

Several weeks later, she and Sirius were enjoying a light dinner on the terrace of the villa where Missandei was serving them when Sirius brought up the topic of extending their reign.

The villa was now patrolled by even more guards than the ones that Lord Gryffindor had first employed and the villa, though already like a palace to Ginny

"I believe sometime within the next few days that we need to make a trip to Astapor Ginny," her adoptive father said. "Word has begun to spread that there had been a power shift in Qarth and that the Thirteen and the Warlocks are no more. Pretty soon others will be coming to stake their claims on the city and I would not have it known that Qarth's new king is weak. We need to strike and we need to strike now."

Ginny grinned at the older man. "And you are proposing that we head to Astapor, acquire an army of Unsullied for ourselves to protect the city and thus conquer that city in one fell swoop."

"Indeed."

Her grin widened. "It's an excellent idea. But I do have one suggestion."

"And that is?"

"We need to go in disguise. If what Missandei said about Kraznys is true than we already know he is a greedy bastard. If he thinks he has the King and Princess of Qarth as his guests wishing to buy his army from him, he will make the price of them ridiculously high. I know we have the coin to spend but haggling over the price of an army of slaves is not something we need to be focusing on. We need to trick him first."

"How uncommonly Slytherin of you Ginny," Sirius said with a wolfish grin. "I've taught you well."

The red head rolled her eyes. "Anyway. What I'm proposing is that we go in disguise and let him think that we are simply merchants. When he names his price, I will offer Septimus to him.

Sirius's eyes narrowed. "What?"

Ginny held up her hand, indicating that she wasn't done. "Hear me out first. Septimus has grown much bigger in the past two months since we burned the Undying. His wingspan is now the size of this table. And breathing fire for him is much easier than it was before. It's been much harder to keep him under wraps in Qarth and keep the spells of disillusionment on him at all times. We need Kraznys to think that we have no more cards to play before we unveil our trump piece. If he thinks we have a dragon that we are willing to sell, he will be all the more eager to sell the army to us."

Sirius got a gleam in his eye then and she could tell that he was catching on to the plan. "And once the Unsullied are ours, we have Septimus fry Kraznys to a crisp and then have the Unsullied turn on the rest of the city. We will have an army and the city in one day."

"Precisely."

Ginny was sure at this point that her look was mirroring her adoptive father's but she did have a feeling like the cat that had caught the canary. It was a rather ingenious plan and one that was sure to work if what Missandei had told her about Kraznys was true.

"If he thinks that we don't pose a threat to him than he will have underestimated us and we have him right where we want him. Once this is complete, we will offer up Septimus as payment for the Unsullied. A live dragon is something he will not be able to resist and once he thinks that the dragon is his and we are assured that the army is ours, we will command Septimus to finish him off and have the Unsullied kill the rest of the slavers. The city will be ours before nightfall."

"And those who benefitted from the current regime we will offer the choice of leaving to another city, but we will tell them that the king of Qarth is coming for the rest of Essos along with his daughter so it will only be a matter of time before they may have to leave the east permanently in order to have things remain as they are. For within a few years, I intend to bring this entire continent to heel."

"That's incredibly ambitious," Ginny said to her adoptive father though she was smirking. "Do you think we can do it?"

"We have the dragons and we have our magic and now we have the entire city of Qarth behind us that we've brought under new government in two months," Sirius responded.

"I'm feeling rather optimistic about our chances."

Ginny smiled. "So am I. But that doesn't mean that I want to get overconfident and forget where we came from. The House of Gryffindor didn't wasn't actually known ten years ago and now we've put it on the map figuratively and literally. But I don't want to become cocky and forget that we didn't have this several months ago or even several weeks ago. I haven't' even in this new world six months yet and already we've accomplished more here than we ever have back in England. This is all good, I just don't want to forget the way it started. I don't want to forget anything."

Sirius's expression softened and he reached out to take her hand. "And we're not going to. I promise. We've left people behind but they're never going to be forgotten and the only way we can honor their memories is by living the lives that we've been given."

Ginny scrubbed at her eyes, suddenly feeling a little emotional. "I know. Sometimes I get a little overwhelmed with it all and I have to stop and think for a moment."

"I can't promise you that this new life won't have heartache," Sirius said softly, his black eyes darkening at what was no doubt a bleak memory. "But I can also promise that it will have joy and that is because the two of us are going to make our own happiness. I think we both can agree that that is what everyone we've left behind would have wanted."

Ω

Later that evening after everyone in the villa was asleep and the wards Sirius had erected around the property firmly in place, one lone red head was still awake and feeling rather reckless.

Sensing her mood, Septimus had refused to sleep as well and given the fact that he was now the size of an eagle with a much longer wingspan, it was quite easy to tell when he wasn't peaceful.

Ginny decided then that the both of them could do with a bit of fresh air and disillusioned the white dragon before placing him on her shoulder and striding from the villa with him.

Her intent was to get down to the water and walk along the shore for a while.

She had been so busy over the course of the last two months since she had burned down the House of Undying that she had barely had time to think on the visions that she had had when she was in that thrice accursed place.

It was only when it was late at night and she was lying awake in bed staring up at the ceiling of her room when she remembered what she had seen and heard and tried to contemplate what it all meant.

She hoped the one where she was in the throne room covered in snow with the ice monsters all around her wasn't one that was a premonition of the future as it filled her with dread.

The one about Ginny's family was obviously a way to taunt her about the past and the life she would never had.

That one pained her, but it was easier to begin to let go of. If she had had a dream like that when she first arrived in Essos, she might have lost herself to despair.

The one she tried the hardest not to think about was the one that had both made her incredibly sad and happy at the same time.

The one where she was older with a child in her arms and an unbelievably handsome husband at her side. The man in the dream was obviously a great leader and ruler but she had no idea who he was or if he was even real.

And that unnerved her.

To have a vision affect her as deeply as that one had was something that shook Ginny to her core. She hadn't felt that vulnerable in a long time and she hadn't liked it.

She wanted to understand what it all meant and whether or not she had seen something that was actually real or just a cleverly placed illusion.

 _I didn't think I would ever be as happy as what that vision showed me could be. I didn't think a happiness like that was possible for me after everything that's happened. I'm only sixteen and I've lost my entire family along with someone I might have loved and married when I was older. Sirius is the only family I really have left and the only part of my old life that I have to hold on to. Everyone else is gone now. I suppose I just became used to putting the idea of happiness aside when I first came here and just focused on living. But I still miss them so much it hurts sometimes. And to know that what I saw might actually be something that happens to me…..well that gives me hope and I want it…..badly. I don't even know who that man's name was where he might be, but I want that happiness that I felt. I think I deserve it after all I've been through._

She blinked furiously against the tears that had gathered in her eyes and Septimus rubbed his head against her, sensing her distress.

Ginny gave her friend a watery smile and continued walking along the shoreline. _I just wish that I knew what it all meant. I wish I knew what everything I had seen meant. I hate not understanding things._

When her foot kicked a stone that she hadn't noticed before, Ginny reached down and picked it up. She examined it absently for a moment before flinging it would into the water with all of her strength.

Septimus gave a dull croaking cry as if sensing her mood and nuzzled her head again causing her to smile and stroke the dragon's scales.

"I'll be alright, I just wish things weren't so confusing. I'm the happiest I've ever been since I first came to Essos and yet there's still this…..hole in my heart. Something is missing and I don't know what it is."

Upon spying a fallen log that had washed up on shore, Ginny strode over to it, sat down and folded her hands on her lap.

The night was peaceful and quiet and the only sound was that of the washes dashing themselves against the shore. The stars were as bright as she had ever seen them and a gentle breeze was blowing in from across the water causing her hair to be lifted off of her shoulders.

All in all it was a completely serene night….the only thing about it that wasn't feeling particularly peaceful was Ginny herself.

Confusion wasn't something that she dealt well with and at the moment, Ginny was feeling more confused than when she had first arrived in Essos.

 _Maybe it was just meant to confuse me. I knew going into the House of the Undying that they were prone to feeding on human flesh. Perhaps the vision was meant to distract me to the point that I forgot all of that and wanted to remain in the vision forever. I wouldn't have begun to notice them feeding on me until it was too late.  
_ She shuddered to think of what might have happened if Septimus hadn't been with her and not helped her fry all of those bastards to a crisp. _  
My bones would have been lying on the floor of the House of the Undying and Septimus and Sirius would have fried all of those bastards to a crisp regardless._

But it was no sense dwelling on the past. It had been two months since she had entered that place and in those two months, Sirius had become the King of Qarth, she was a princess and the people of the city were looking to them to solve their problems. The former slaves had been put to work on the merchant ships where they would be pain and earning a living, the crime and poverty had greatly diminished with the training and implementation of the city watch and the quality of health care had risen with the implementation of the hospitals.

Everything was going well thus far and now they were going to expand their reign to Astapor where they would eradicate slavery there as well.

Sirius had told her that they would be taking an unmarked ship to the city and disguising themselves so Kraznys wouldn't know who they were. If he knew he had the King of Qarth in his midst, he would be that much more reluctant to give up control of the Unsullied.

As far as Ginny was concerned, that bastard had lived for far too long and his time was now up. She would look forward to watching Septimus roast him.

 _These visions are something that I need to forget,_ she thought to herself. _They were meant to distract me and that is all. The more I start thinking in terms of cold hard realism, the better off I'll be._

Ω

The nearly sleepless night did more than accomplish a rather tired Ginny in the morning however.

Instead, she had a plan when she awoke, a plan that she was bursting to share with Sirius when she hurried down to breakfast.

"You seem to be in a good mood," her adoptive father said as the two of them sat down across from each other in the terrace."

"I had an idea about our trip to Astapor," Ginny began, knowing she would have to get out what she needed to say before he could interrupt. "I don't think you should come along."

Sirius who had been about to take a sip of water him his glass, paused with the drink halfway to his mouth. "I beg your pardon? I certainly hope you don't mean you think I'm going to let you go alone do you?"

Ginny raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. "Here me out. I was thinking about all of this last night and I realized that the only way we're going to achieve our goals in Astapor and purchase the Unsullied is if we play the part of a someone who is inexperienced and don't know what they are doing. I know we were going to go in disguise to Astapor but I don't think its going to be enough."

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Sirius replied narrowing his eyes.

"Given what Missandei told me about Kraznys, he is a man who is misogynistic, arrogant and completely sure of his own infallibility. If he thinks he is invincible than we must allow him to do so. He will not be expecting what he thinks is a helpless female arriving to buy the army. If I go alone and only bring a small retinue of soldiers with me, he will think that he holds all the cards. Once I offer to sell Septimus to him, his greed will take over and he will agree to the arrangement. From there it will simply be a matter of when I tell Septimus to cook him."

Sirius still looked a little uncomfortable with the idea. "I'm not certain of this Ginny. Kraznys is an unknown commodity in this game we are playing. Suppose he tries something that we do not foresee?"

"Then we go with the old standby," Ginny shrugged. "I happen to know the imperious curse quite well. If I think he's trying to cheat me or use shady underhanded methods than I will use it on him. But I don't think he will. Once I offer Septimus to him you'll see how fast logic will be replaced with greed. Either way, I will be returning to Qarth with an army regardless of what he does. And perhaps by the end of the next week Astapor will be ours as well."

Sirius's grim expression eased somewhat. "I'm still not comfortable with the idea of you going alone. You've detailed how you're going to go about getting the army from him but is it really necessary that I stay behind?"

Ginny smiled at him. "You are the newly proclaimed King of Qarth. We don't have the luxury anymore of being able to go wherever we want and do whatever we want. Sometimes sacrifices do have to be made and now is one of those times. Suppose something happens here while we're gone that cannot be resolved without you?"

Sirius sighed and seemed to deflate slightly. "I suppose you have a point. "But you will be taking protection along with you."

"Of course," Ginny said reaching out to take his hand. "I wouldn't think of walking into a situation like this without backup. It would be foolish to do so and I don't plan on being crazy about this."

"Good," Sirius replied soberly. "And if there is anything about this situation that doesn't seem quite right, I want you to apparate back to Qarth right away. The price to pay for a few more people learning about your magic will be a simple one to pay for your safety."

Ginny agreed and spent the next two hours readying herself for the journey while Sirius went and selected some of the best men to take with her.

Ginny already planned on leaving Missandei behind as she didn't want Kraznys to recognize her. Instead Vellaena would be coming with her to act as a translator. Ginny already understood High Valyrian well enough but if Kraznys knew she spoke it, she might lose a potential edge.

 _Better to let him think that he's winning before I pull the rug out from under him._

It would take at least a week to get to Astapor, the muggle way and Ginny was already chafing at the time constraints. No doubt the city itself would be buzzing about the drastic coup that Qarth had experienced. She hadn't expected the news of her adopted father's new kingship to remain a secret for long.

The fact that he had already outlawed slavery within the walls of Qarth was sure to cause a ripple effect. Ginny only hoped that because of Qarth's distance from Astapor, none of the other easter cities would turn their spears on them.  
Yet.

The night before she was to leave, Ginny did something she hadn't done in a good long while and went down to the vault where Sirius kept the dragon and gryphon eggs that hadn't yet been hatched.

Septimus, who had grown much bigger was no longer able to sit on her shoulder effectively had taken to flying the open waters at night in search of food. Ginny always ensured that he was disillusioned before he went out as the last thing she wanted was for someone to see him and word to spread.

The existence of Septimus would be revealed when she reached Astapor and not before. Word would no doubt soon spread after that and she and Sirius would need to take the city quickly and connect it to Qarth in their newly expanded empire.

She stood ankle deep in the shallows before the altar observing the walls of alcoves in which the eggs were nestled.

They were all glowing with a peculiar shine and Ginny took this to mean that with the hatching of Septimus, magic had once more returned which made it easier for other creatures of the same species to be hatched as well.

 _I wonder how long it will be before the gryphons are awakened from their slumber,_ she thought to herself as she observed the wall of dull brown bevelled eggs behind her.

After a while she turned back around to the dragon eggs and slowly approached one of the alcoves that was lower to the ground.

In it was perched a large bronze egg about the size of a pineapple, stem and all. It was glistening more brightly than the others in the wake of the firelight and Ginny wondered for a moment if this meant it was getting ready to hatch.

It obviously took a great deal of magic to be able to hatch a dragon egg as well as blood and she remembered feeling exhausted when she had succeeded in hatching Septimus a few months earlier.

 _I hope that I am prepared if another egg chooses to hatch tonight,_ Ginny thought to herself and after a moment decided that she would try.

Taking a deep breath, the beautiful red head bent down and picked up the large bronze egg before carefully carrying it over to the altar which was already blazing to keep the eggs warm and nudged it into the flames.

She waited for a moment, watching as the bronze scales of the egg seemed to glimmer and shine in the light as if they had been doused with water.

Deciding that she had nothing to lose by trying, Ginny reached down and picked up the ancient knife that Sirius had left in a small alcove of the altar.

She didn't think the ceremonial knife would have any effect on the hatching of the egg but at the moment, she didn't have any other instrument.

Ginny glared at the egg, trying to recall how she had hatched Septimus and wondering if the same technique would work.

Septimus' egg had been sitting in the flames for hours before he hatched and this egg hadn't but Ginny wondered if the ever present heat in the cavern would have had an effect on whether or not the bronze egg was ready to hatch.

She glanced down at the knife in her hand, unsure if whether or not she wanted to use blood to try and hatch this egg.

In all the stories she had read, Ginny remembered seeing that in order for a dragon to hatch, one had to lose something, a blood for blood type of situation. Sacrifice was necessary in order to hatch one of these magical creatures.

 _Then if that is the case, I know all too well about sacrifice,_ Ginny thought to herself sadly. _I've lost my entire family and friends as well. That alone should allow me to hatch every dragon egg in this vault._

That was all that was needed for her to go through on the bizarre ritual she had in mind.

Taking a deep breath and praying this would work, Ginny screwed her eyes shut and slashed the blade across her palm, wincing as she felt the tearing of flesh.

She opened her eyes and clenched her hand into a fist before holding it over the flames and slowly opened her palm.

The blood that had pooled in her hand slowly dripped off her fingers and onto the hot scales of the egg, creating a sizzling sound almost as if it were frying.

After around five minutes of watching the egg, Ginny had a feeling she wasn't going to see the egg hatch for a while, several hours at least.

But not feeling tired at all, the red head retreated to the stairs by the entrance to the vault and seated herself on the stones, content to wait.

It seemed her body wasn't however for the moment Ginny seated herself on the stones, she felt her body begin to relax.

Perhaps it was the heat of the vault or the warm feeling in the air or the sand beneath her feet, but whatever it was, the red head began to feel her eyes grow heavy.

She tried to fight it but after a while, her limbs began to feel heavy and she succumbed to the throes of sleep.

Right before her eyes closed however, the odd sensation of the fire growing higher was the last thing she saw before her eyelids fell shut and everything went black.

Ω

She must have only been asleep for several hours and the heat must have been unbearable because Ginny felt hot and irritated when she awakened.

Somehow the air in the vault seemed to have grown infinitely hotter since she had fallen asleep and she had the sudden urge to dunk herself in the water running by the altar when she opened her eyes.

Within a few minutes however, it became easy to see why the air had become as hot as it was.

When Ginny glanced down at the sand beneath her feet, which was oddly where the heat was coming from she was astonished to see a small creature sitting there.

 _It worked._

Whatever gods there were in this world must have been smiling on her for sitting at her feet on its hind legs with its tail curled around it and no bigger than a kitten…..was a small bronze dragon.

His wings were folded back and its head was raised, looking at her with its head cocked to one side as if it were trying to determine what sort of creature she was.

After Ginny had gotten over her shock, she smiled and leaned down slightly, holding out a hand to the tiny creature.

"Well hello there," she whispered and the creature hopped closer, leaning its neck forwards as if to sniff her fingers.

"I suppose I should decide on a name for you too," she whispered in awe when the tiny creature hopped onto her hand and allowed her to bring it closer to her face.

In the light of the fire coming from the altar and its discarded shells, the bronze scales of the dragon twinkled and shone like coins. It made a small croaking sound in its throat as it looked at her and Ginny smiled gently.

 _Maybe I was meant to come here and hatch these,_ she thought absently to herself as she looked at the small creature. _Maybe losing almost everyone I've ever loved in the_ _most horrific manner possible was the price I didn't know I had to pay for this. Maybe losing my family was the way to hatch these dragons. Sorrow must still run in my veins from all that I lost._

"Faebian," she whispered to the tiny creature who seemed to preen at the mention of the title. "That's what your new name will be."

The dragon let out a croaking sound as if it were well pleased with its new name and Ginny reached out her other hand to stroke the top of its head.

She didn't get the feeling of ice water in her veins when her fingers made contact with Faebian's scales but there was a slight tingling in her fingers that stunned and awed her as much as it had the first time when she had hatched Septimus.

"I have a feeling we're going to need you little one," she whispered to Faebian who turned and looked at the red head as if he had understood her perfectly. "In order to change this world, we are going to need a great instrument of change."

She remembered reading stories of how Aegon and his sister wives had conquered Westeros across the Narrow Sea and wondered if this conquest of Essos was going to be similar.

 _No,_ she decided firmly. _Sirius and I want to bring peace and change and justice to a place that is sorely in need of it. We don't have a desire to kill people although that might be an unfortunate side effect of what we are attempting to achieve. They can both stay in their old world and eventually die when they do not conform, or they can live in the new one Sirius and I are trying to create. But I hope death does not come knocking for them. I've seen enough to last me a lifetime._

Still holding Faebian in the palm of her hand, Ginny got to her feet and slowly started back up the stairs of the vault to get to the library.

She had a feeling that the sun would be rising soon and she needed to begin the preparations to go to Astapor.

Vellaena would be accompanying her as a translator with several of the guards Sirius had picked. She had ensured that she wouldn't bring too many however as she didn't want Kraznys to balk at the sight of strength and refuse to sell the army to her.

She glanced at the bronze dragon on her palm as she continued her ascent. _I was only going to bring one dragon…..but perhaps two will make him forget all bargains and throw the Unsullied at me. Either way, I will have the army that we need and if Kraznys refuses to conform, he will be nothing more than a pile of ash after I am through with him._ _Sometimes great change does demand sacrifice. I'm beginning to think perhaps it wasn't an accident that Sirius and I fell into this place. At least here I can do some good where I couldn't in my old life._

The red head paused at the door to the vault that led into the library and quickly disguised Faebian before opening the door.

She smirked at the dragon as she walked into the library and the rays of the rising son.

 _I have a feeling Sirius will want to see this new one before I leave._

Ω

 **Not the most interesting chapter, I know but it was necessary so you guys could see Qarth being rebuilt into the kingdom that Sirius and Ginny want it to be. In the next chapter we'll see Ginny in Astapor with Kraznys and buying the Unsullied. After that, we are going to experience some time jumps as soon a certain stag will be coming from across the sea asking for something only Ginny can give him heeheehee ;) In the meantime, I will try to update soon. Enjoy everyone and don't forget to review!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

 _Twenty Months Later…_

 _It's hard to believe that this is all happening so fast.  
_

That had been Ginevra Gryffindor's primary thought for the last year and a half since she and her adoptive father had conquered Qarth.

Astapor had proved to be even simpler to take and before Kraznys had even been able to blink, the fiery red head had burned him to a crisp. Septimus had only been too happy to comply as there was no way that Ginny would have used Faebian for such a task as at the time he had only been a week old.

After she had succeeded in burning Kraznys, both for his malpractices given the horrendous atrocities she had seen on the walk of punishment and for being a foul loathsome evil little cockroach, she had revealed herself to the rest of the elites of Astapor as Ginevra Gryffindor the daughter of the King of Qarth.

The Unsullied had taken the city within an hour, all other soldiers that might have been privately owned, falling before them like matchsticks before a hurricane.

Once this had been completed, Ginny had freed the Unsullied and then asked them to serve her as free men. Not one soul in the army of eight thousand had left much to her surprise and Ginny had set herself up as the undisputed power in Astapor.

She sent word of her success immediately to Sirius and within the hour, her adopted father had arrived in the city with the use of apparition, along with some of his advisors and Vellaena who seemed a little shell shocked at all that the red head had managed to accomplish.

The following day however, several of the poor and common folk had approached the new ruler of Qarth and Astapor and begged him to rescue some of their children and family members who had been kidnapped and taken as slaves to Yunkai and Mereen.

Seeing this as a chance to demonstrate his benevolence to the people of Essos as well as to get the common folk behind them, but mostly out of compassion, Sirius had agreed.

Ginny persuaded her adoptive father to remain in Astapor while he established a new government and she took two thousand Unsullied to Yunkai to deal with that city.

Seeing as how she had never apparated there before, Ginny had had to travel on foot, something that thoroughly annoyed her.

Within a fortnight however, they had reached the gates of Yunkai and Ginny had demonstrated to the ruling elites that she would not be cowed and to never underestimate a witch when she had blown a hole in the wall of that great city and she and the Unsullied had poured through.

After that it had been easy.

Ginny used some of the diplomacy that Vellaena had taught her to get through to the leaders of Yunkai and simply used assured destruction as a means to get them to step down from power. It was a very Slytherin method, but Ginny wanted her father's reign to be a time of peace. She wished to ensure that the people knew they had a ruler who was fair and who would fight for them, but that dissention would not be tolerated.

She wanted to paint the picture of a just and fair ruler but also one who was willing to get her hands dirty.

The slavers were killed but those who had bought slaves in good faith were properly recompensed for their money and those former slaves who had served them were offered the chance once more to work for them. But this time with pay or else they could serve as workers who would be building roads between the three cities that the Gryffindors had conquered.

The next day, the new king arrived in the city and saw to it that those who had resisted were put to the sword and the poor properly cared for.

Any of the ruling elites that were disgruntled with the change in leadership were placed on the city's small council.

That was something else that Sirius had decreed and which Ginny wholeheartedly agreed with. If Sirius was to be the king of a united Essos, than he would need to have eyes and ears in every city on the continent. That meant that he would need to pick people who were loyal to him and place them on the governing council of each city.

Ginny was rather surprised at how many honest men there were in each city that they traveled to but how the greed and corruption of the eastern cities had prevented it from coming out and gaining a foothold.

Needless to say there were many people who were eager to be selected for the small council that Sirius was calling for Yunkai.

After a brief interview process in which the new king and his daughter reviewed the education of those members who had previously helped to rule Yunkai and whether or not they had been involved in the slave trade, seven were selected. Unbeknownst to them however, Sirius and Ginny had drawn up magically binding contracts that stated their new roles in serving the people of the cities they had been selected to help govern. The contracts didn't require a signature, but rather a drop of blood to make it official.

In this way, if any one of the members they had selected to sit on the small council of any city chose to go against them in any way, the magic would take hold and their lives would be the price.

It wasn't a particularly nice way to go about things, but Sirius and Ginny had determined that for the first few years of their reign, they would need to show the people of Essos that they meant business and that they wouldn't be cowed.

Once the small councils for Qarth, Astapor and Yunkai were up and running with the right people put in place who had been rigorously tested under Legilimency, the two Gryffindors had travelled to the rest of Essos.

They had gone on to Mereen, Myr, Tyrosh, Volantis, Pentos, Norvos, and Braavos before travelling south from Braavos to Lorath and Qohor. It took several months to subdue them all and this was where Ginny was more than grateful that she and Sirius had magic. It would have taken months to besiege each city and establish a firm foothold if they had been using the Muggle Method. As they were sorcerers, entering each city became easy and word of their deeds went ahead of them.

Sometimes before she would make her presence known to the people of a city, Ginny would disguise herself and walk amongst the people, listening to what they had to say.

Many of the common folk praised her and Sirius for the work they had done in the other cities as they truly seemed to care about the common people and the peasants. The soup kitchens and the hospitals and the shelters they had erected were talked about far and wide as no one had ever seen places such as them.

Ginny ensured that for each city she and Sirius conquered, hospitals, courts of justice, schools and food kitchens were erected that the poor could go to.

Roads had begun to be constructed between all the major cities so traveling back and forth between them was easier.

That probably wouldn't be completed for a number of years however but with the amount of former slaves working on them, the process was going faster than Ginny would have thought possible.

Sirius was now known as the Gryphon King far and wide and on each city that he and Ginny occupied, the black banner bearing the golden gryphon was blowing as far as the eye could see. It had become a symbol of hope for the poor and terror to their enemies.

And speaking of gryphons, in the nearly two years since the two Gryffindors had begun their campaign, twelve of the twenty gryphon eggs that Sirius had housed beneath his villa in Qarth in the vault had hatched along with five more dragons giving the royal family seven of the magnificent winged beasts in total.

The dragons helped greatly when conquering the free cities as many remembered the stories of Old Valyria and what had happened to Old Ghis when the Valyrians descended upon that city astride their dragons.

Sirius had declared that Mereen would be the capital city of his newly established Essosi Empire and he and Ginny took the great pyramid of Mereen for their home. It rose above all the other buildings in that great city and was one of the most majestic sights that the red head had ever seen.

The golden symbol of the harpies both atop the pyramid and at the city gates were torn down and replaced by effigies of the gryphon, the symbol of Gryffindor House.

Slaver's Bay had been renamed Gryphon Bay as many of the winged symbols of their house liked to fly over it.

The family had only grown after that for as soon as Astapor had been taken, Sirius married Vellaena and asked her to be his queen. She had wholeheartedly agreed and nine months later had given birth to triplets, three sons which gave Sirius never ending joy.

He had named the eldest Godric in memory of the Gryffindor Valyrian who in a way had made all of this possible and the second after his son, Edric.

For the third son, Vellaena and Sirius asked Ginny if she would like to name him which had shocked the red head to no end. After some trepidation, she had settled on the name Haedric, Harry for short. Her choice had caused Sirius's eyes to well up with tears as they both recalled another time.

Astonishingly enough to both their mother and their father as well as Ginny, they had all inherited blood red hair and stark blue eyes like those of their ancestors. Sirius had nearly passed out from shock when he had seen them and their mother had declared that it was a blessing from their ancestors themselves. Their facial features were those of Sirius but that was where the resemblance ended.

To make matters even more interesting, they had also inherited their father's magic which gave Sirius great pride as it meant magic wouldn't die with him and Ginny and would be something new to bring to the world.

They brought never ending joy to their parents and to Ginny who was finally beginning to feel some semblance of normalcy in this new life that she was living. Living with Sirius had made her very happy and unwittingly, she had found a mother figure in Vellaena as well. The other woman had wanted to make it clear to the red head that she was not trying to take the place of her mother and simply wished to be her friend.

Ginny had nearly wanted to cry in that moment because Vellaena would never know that her real mother and father had died in another time and place and wouldn't be coming back to her. Sirius had become her honorary father in this world but in private when it was just the two of them, she still called him Sirius. In public it was necessary to call him father though.

Sirius had become more of a father to her in the last nearly two years that she had been in Essos than she had ever thought possible.

Nothing made her happier than seeing her family together and she considered the triplets her brothers as well. They all adored her and were prone to high peals of laughter as they were just over a year old when she would cuddle them and toss them in the air.

When Ginny held them in her arms, she could almost forget that she had lost all of her brothers in her old world.

Almost.

All in all, it was a time where joy and sorrow tussled in her heart and she didn't quite know how to handle it.

Fortunately, she had enough to keep her busy rather than thinking on the past.

With seven dragons flying over Mereen along with twelve gryphons and an empire to help her father rule, Ginny had her hands full enough as it was.

Every day there was something new to handle, some new task to complete and some new person to speak with.

In order to establish his main small council, Sirius had selected one member from each of the major cities he had conquered and brought them and their families to Mereen where they were housed in one of the smaller pyramids. This ensured that he had the ear of all of the major cities and they knew that he was doing his best to pacify and work for them all.

Ginny would often sit in on the small council meetings and none of the representatives he had selected would dare cross her.

It was now known far and wide that the Gryphon king and his daughter possessed magic and wouldn't hesitate to use it against their enemies. In the eyes of some of the smaller folk, it made their new rulers gods to them and Ginny had come across more than one temple erected for the worship of her and Sirius which she had to gently plead to be torn down and turned into a school or a hospital.

Sirius had laughed about that for days but Ginny hadn't been impressed.

Their magic was a bit of a source of intimidation and awe for some of their subject as it meant that it would be next to impossible to cross them.

Once a week, Ginny would take Septimus and fly to the other major cities that she and Sirius ruled over and sit on their small councils and hear their complaints about their cities.

At first, no one had really wanted to bow down to a woman but seeing as how she was a princess and capable of burning them all alive, her reputation did the work for her. And after she had demonstrated her intellect in helping with an irrigation problem in Yunkai, it made people susceptible to trusting her.

Along with the many disputes that needed to be solved, Ginny and Sirius had also had to come up with ways for crops to be planted throughout Essos, whether that was inside the city or outside of it. After sixty percent of Essos itself was desert and so that made the notion of being able to plant food and crops a necessary thing.

Essos experienced no winter at all which made it that much easier to bring forth food from the ground.

Large greenhouses were erected around each of the major cities which were carefully warded by magic and irrigation systems were put in place to ensure the watering of the towns and cities.

Well pleased with her success, Ginny had returned to Mereen to report her results to her father who was also well pleased.

As for the manner of a Kingsguard, it wasn't something that was really necessary given that Sirius was a high calibre sorcerer who could kill someone with a wave of his hand.

However it didn't hurt to always be prepared for any eventuality and so at Vellaena's urging, Sirius had decided to appoint a dozen men to serve as his personal guard.

The results of such an appointment were interesting indeed.

When the two Gryffindors had first reached Mereen, some of the first to pledge their loyalty to the king and princess had been a group called the Creed.

They were a brotherhood of highly trained assassins like the Faceless Men and were a privately run institution as well.

Like the Faceless Men, no one ever saw what they looked like as their faces were always covered and the few times in the past that someone had dared to try and unmask them had always ended in loss of limbs and or life.

Unlike any other group of trained assassins however, the Creed was a group that strongly believed in the power of magic. None of them were sorcerers themselves but they held the belief that those who possessed it should be served. And Sirius and Ginny fell under that category.

Their loyalty was surprising to the red head but she didn't question it.

Something she and Sirius had garnered in the last twenty months was the absolute loyalty of many of their subjects and the Creed was no different.

They wore armor, but it was a light weight kind that was astonishingly made of Sunsteel that the ancient Valyrians had used. The thinner armor made it easier for them to walk silently in it and they wore light black cloaks over the armor with two swords upon their back. Encased within the bracers upon their wrists were hidden blades that could be released with a hidden mechanism.

What was even more astonishing was the knowledge that many of the ancestors of the members of the Creed had been the personal bodyguards of members of the ancient Valyrian houses. They had been sworn to serve them and now that a family with ancient Valyrian roots had once more reemerged from hiding, the Creed moved to protect them as well.

Sirius had accepted their service with some form of bewilderment and had taken twelve of them to be his personal guard.

The only thing that was odd about them was that they were all the same height, all the same build and they never removed their hoods in anyone's presence.

It had made Sirius a little wary at first but after searching their minds he had discovered that they meant him no harm and took them into his service.

Wherever he went outside of the Great Pyramid of Mereen, the Creed went with him.

Sirius had wanted to assign some of them to Ginny as well but she had refused, saying that she had more than enough means to protect herself with.

All in all, it was a time of peace and prosperity in Essos and Ginny used the time to truly let go of the past and say goodbye to the life she had left behind.

She was thankful that her time in Essos had offered her a new family and a chance to help other people as she hadn't been able to do when she was still in England.

There were no magical wars to fight here and no dark lords to kill and with their magic, she and Sirius had brought peace and prosperity to a land that was sorely in need of it. Essos had become a place of justice once more under strong leadership and the people worshipped Sirius, especially the common folk.

The Gryphon was seen as a symbol of protection for many and soon, black and gold gryphon banners were flying all across Essos.

Unbeknownst to the royal Gryffindor family however, the common folk of Essos were not the only ones watching them.

Ω

The small council was particularly loud that day and for once Aerys' erratic behaviour wasn't the cause of it.

Disputes had to be settled in terms of trade and in terms of alliances, however once the Master of Whispers walked into the room, everyone fell silent to hear what he had to say. The motives of the Spider had always been ambiguous because he claimed he served no one but the realm.

And as such, disturbing and intriguing reports had come from his spies in Essos over the course of nearly the last two years about some rather interesting things.

The Free Cities had no master as everyone knew and there had been times in the past when people had tried to conquer them but all had failed and faded from existence, their efforts long since forgotten.

Not since Old Valyria had the continent been conquered and not since the Doom had Essos known leadership under one man.

That had all changed in the last twenty months.

Varys had been the only one who was slightly disturbed to hear that Qarth and Astapor had been conquered in a matter of days by a man named Sirius Gryffindor. Still, he had kept the information to himself, hoping that this would all blow over.

It hadn't.

In fact, this man….this Sirius Gryffindor had gone on to conquer not only the aforementioned cities, but also Myr, Mereen, Yunkai, Asshai, Volantis, Braavos, Tyrosh, Pentos, Norvos, Lorath, and Qohor.

And the fact that he had done it in as little a time as he had bewildered the Spider greatly.

He had been further alarmed to hear whispers that Sirius Gryffindor was a sorcerer of great power whose magic had allowed him to bring all of the Free Cities to heel in under two years. The slave trade had been abolished, roads were being built, an army and a navy established, schools had been erected and the Gryphon King as many of his subjects were calling him had taken up residence in Mereen and named it his capital city, living in the great pyramid.

If this wasn't alarming enough, it was to know that the new king had four children and his eldest, a daughter, was a sorceress of the same calibre as her father. She had helped bring Astapor and Yunkai to heel and frequently sat with her father on the small council to assist in his running of the kingdom.

It wasn't her ambition that alarmed Varys, it was the fact that now Westeros had a very powerful potential enemy living close to them and its king was a man who could bring entire cities to heel with the help of his daughter.

That was enough to make any man nervous.

And finally as if to twist the screw in a bit further and turn it to ensure maximum pain and discomfort, Varys had learned of the dragons.

Since the legendary Dance of Dragons, the winged beasts hadn't been seen in Westeros and had been considered all but extinct.

The fact that the ruling Gryffindor family of Essos possessed no less than seven of the creatures was enough to make Varys down several large goblets of wine.

He had refrained from saying anything to the king and the rest of the nobles on the small council as he wanted to be sure of the reports but now there was nothing for it but to bring the entire matter to the king's attention and pray that he wouldn't be burned alive with wildfire.

Varys had been reluctant to believe it at first since the return of the dragons was a rather fantastical concept, but now he had no choice but to agree and believe the reports.

He had considered the many ways this could be a problem, namely if the Gryphon King grew bored with his own empire and decided to conqueror Westeros. With his own sorcery as well as that of his daughter and the might of the seven dragons the family possessed, there would be no one that would be able to stop them. Westeros would have been doomed.

That was a big _if_ but it wasn't one that Varys was willing to risk and he felt sure that the king and the rest of the nobles wouldn't want to risk it either.

They could of course ignore the problem but that could be potentially dangerous as well.

They could increase established trade with the new Essosi Empire which was a better idea but one Varys wanted to take a step further.

Therefore, given what his spies had told him…..there was only one course of action.

"Lord Varys!" Tywin Lannister barked, looking at the eunuch with hard green eyes. "Your report if you please. It is you that has called for this meeting. I would ask that you get on with it."

The Spider bowed even though inside he bristled with annoyance. "Of course my lord Hand."

The Old Lion was a thorn in his side but he was not a man who lacked intellect by any means and it was due to his brilliance that the realm had prospered as Aerys behaviour had grown increasingly erratic over the last several years. He was power hungry though and Varys knew he was one to watch very carefully.

He turned his attention to the rest of the lords in the room and landed for a moment on the King's oldest son Prince Rhaegar. He was looking at the Spider with an intent look on his handsome face and for a moment, the eunuch felt sorry for him having a father such as he had. Fortunately the only thing Rhaegar had inherited from Aerys was his exquisite looks but none of his cruelty and insanity.

Varys had high hopes for the crown prince that he would usher in a new age of prosperity to Westeros once his father's ghost had passed from this world.

The news he had would affect him directly.

"Well get on with it Varys," the king barked.

"Of course your grace. Now over the course of the last several months I began receiving reports of a most…..disturbing nature from my spies in Essos."

"What does news from across the Narrow Sea have to do with us?" Grand Maester Pycelle demanded and Varys raised an eyebrow at him. As far as he was concerned, the ancient maester had served for too long on the small council as it was and was past his due date to die. Yet he remained as well as his idiocy and simpering spying. Varys knew for a fact that he reported to Tywin Lannister and his lecherous groveling was enough to make Varys rather ill.

"It may not affect us now, but it may very well in the future," the master of whispers replied as he turned to the rest of the small council. "I know my lords that you have all heard reports of the uprising in Essos in the last several months."

There were several grunts and murmurings from around the table before Varys continued. "As such these uprisings included the conquering of Qarth and Astapor within a few months with Yunkai shortly following along with the rest of the major cities in Essos. An empire has been built my lords…..an empire under one man."

There was silence around the small council table and Varys knew he had the attention of everyone in the room now.

"I was hesitant to believe it at first however my spies have not lied. The Free Cities of Essos have been united under one banner and by a man that nearly everyone on the continent is referring to as the Gryphon King."

Dead silence followed this statement and Varys could see that many glances were being exchanged across the table. The king and his son were the only ones who looked slightly intrigued. Tywin looked disgruntled, Steffon looked worried, Pycelle looked well….old and all the rest shared a mixture of the first two.

"And what have you learned of this Gryphon King lord Varys?" Tywin asked in a voice that was a sharp as steel.

Inwardly Varys took a deep breath, knowing his next words were likely to decide the fate of a good deal many people in this room.

"His name is Sirius Gryffindor. He is a sorcerer possessing a powerful degree of magic and he has four children. In twenty months he has conquered the Free Cities using a mixture of military and naval might and magic. Everyone from Braavos to Asshai has bent the knee and sworn fealty to him as king. The slave trade has been abolished, roads between the major cities have been built, an army and navy have been established and Mereen has been chosen as the capital city of what people are now calling the Essosi Empire. I am told that he is a just and fair ruler but has used his magic to great effect in demonstrating that he is not a man to be trifled with."  
Tywin looked skeptical as Varys knew he would but this was not a time to have doubts. The future of Westeros might be grim if they ignored House Gryffindor.

"Go on Lord Varys," Steffon Baratheon prompted earning him a nod from the spider.

"And then there are the reports of the…..dragons your grace," he said turning to the king who had looked pale before at the mention of the name of Gryffindor and now looked like a child on a sugar rush. Everyone else had turned white at the mention of those beasts except for prince Rhaegar who had leaned forward in his chair and was looking intrigued.

"Dragons Lord Varys?" Tywin asked tightly and the master of whispers nodded.

"I am afraid so my lord Hand," Varys replied feeling somewhat ill. "Seven of them."

A silence as heavy as if it had drifted out of a tomb filled the small council chamber and as Varys looked around, he saw mixed expressions on everyone's faces. Most of them looked terrified at the mention of the dragons, Steffon looked worried, Pycelle appeared as if he were about to pass out and Tywin…..well Tywin looked almost angry as if this was a piece in the game of thrones that he had not foreseen and was now cursing himself for it.

Surprisingly it was prince Rhaegar who chose that moment to speak up. "And what do you propose we do about this Lord Varys? You obviously have a plan….I would hear it."

Varys gave the young man an approving look as he was the only one who had gone straight to the point of why he had come here today. _Yes…he will make a fine king._

"We can choose to ignore this potential threat but a powerful nation this close to Westeros that severely outstrips us in power is not something it would be wise to overlook."

"We pose no threat to them," Steffon pointed out and Varys nodded. "No my lord we do not. But neither did the Free Cities to Sirius Gryffindor….and he conquered them all the same. With his own magic and the might of the dragons there was none that were able to stand in his way. Suppose he wishes to add to his empire? We are simply the next step in the chain."

"Is that a fair assumption to make Lord Varys?" Steffon asked. "Ruling an empire is an exhaustive task and the Narrow Sea separates us and these Gryffindors."

"Correct Lord Baratheon," Varys went on. "However this is not a normal king. I do not wish to remind you of what happened the last time a man astride a dragon came to Westeros. And Aegon only had three….this Sirius Gryffindor has seven. I do not want to think of the horrors that would be unleashed if he were to lay waste to Westeros with his seven dragons. This man is a conqueror and if we do not do something, there may come a time when he will turn his gaze towards Westeros and whatever dynasties we have all struggled to build will be no more."

"The name was Gryffindor yes?"

At this all eyes turned to the king who looked oddly pale and shaken. His violet eyes were darting back and forth as if they were searching the room for an unknown threat.

"Yes your grace," Varys said gently. "Have you heard the name before?"

"The name of Gryffindor…..it was an ancient Valyrian name. The first of its name was Godric Gryffindor….a powerful sorcerer who's children must have survived the Doom," the king said almost in a whisper as if he were talking to himself. "A remnant of Valyria still remains it seems."  
There was a moment of silence as everyone processed this before Tywin turned to Varys once more. "Your point Lord Varys?"

The Spider smiled. "There is only one way to deal with a potential threat like this and ensure that Sirius Gryffindor never brings his dragons to Westeros. We must make an alliance with them…..through marriage."

Silence greeted this announcement and Varys took it as an opportunity to continue and smiled as he did so. "My spies have informed me that King Sirius has a daughter of marriageable age. Her name is Ginevra Gryffindor. She is seven and ten, only slightly younger than our prince. Her people claim she is the most beautiful woman in the world with hair as red as rubies, eyes like that of the Jade Sea and a body blessed by the Seven. She is beloved by her people for her gentleness and her care of the poor as she has erected schools and shelters for those in need. She assists her father in ruling the empire and is the eldest of four children, the three youngest being triplet sons by the names of Godric, Edric and Haedric. My spies have informed me that she too possesses magic like her father. Fierce, beautiful and determined, she would be ideal for our prince."

Varys cast his eyes towards Rhaegar as he said this and saw that the prince's eyes were narrowed slightly at the mention of magic. He didn't appear angry with the suggestion, only as if he were thinking rather hard about something.

"This is your plan Lord Varys?" Tywin asked and his tone was slightly annoyed. Varys knew that if the king agreed this would put an end to Tywin's schemes of making his own daughter a queen.

"It is," the Spider replied and turned toward Aerys. "It only needs your mark of approval your grace. I would strongly urge you to consider it as it would be the best way to avoid open war."

There was a long silence where everyone turned to the king to see that he appeared deeply troubled and was pale and shaking slightly.

He had been considering the idea of sending his cousin Steffon to the Free Cities to find a bride for his son and here one had fallen into his lap before Baratheon had even left King's Landing. And the knowledge that there was indeed another family with Valyrian roots out there had shaken him. The knowledge that they had formed an empire with dragons to burn Westeros to the ground was both a worrying and a joyful thought to the king who was slightly mad himself.

And if the daughter of this King Sirius were to marry his son…..the amount of power he would possess would be unprecedented. Dragons and magic….he would be responsible for a dynasty that would be known for a thousand years.

The decision was rather easy after that.

"Steffon!" he barked finally and his cousin jumped.

"Yes your grace?"

A greedy smile came over Aerys face that gave everyone in the room, his own son included, the shivers.

"You will sail for Mereen to meet with King Sirius Gryffindor by this time tomorrow to discuss this marriage. And do not return until you have secured Ginevra Gryffindor as a bride for my son."

The words _or else_ went unspoken throughout the room. But there was a chill from them all the same.

Ω

 _Two weeks later…._

It was still early but watching the sun rise over Mereen had been one of Ginny's favorite things to do since she and her father had settled in the great pyramid.

The ball of fire would slowly begin to rise over the city and light all of the buildings in a fiery glow which seemed to set the bricks of each house ablaze with light.

She privately referred to Mereen as the City of the Rising Sun because of how the sun would cast its rays everywhere.

Atop the pyramid where the golden statue of the gryphon had been erected, the effigy itself would capture the light as if it were a creature of flames.

Ginny occupied one of the uppermost rooms in the pyramid and it looked similar to her chambers from the villa in Qarth. From her balcony she could see all of Mereen laid out before her like she was a goddess looking down on the mortals from on high.

The room had pale blue tiled flooring and a large bed on the right side covered over with silk curtains. In the center of the room there was an in ground pool which was almost always bubbling and steaming with hot water.

Directly across from the door, the large balcony opened to the sea and the curtains attached to the doors were blowing gently in the breeze.

When she would stand on her balcony, and close her eyes to the sun and feel the breeze lifting her long red curls off of her shoulders, Ginny would sometimes feel invincible as if no pain would ever touch her from up here.

She had adapted rather astonishingly well to the culture of Essos and now spoke High Valyrian as well as some of the other languages of the east. Dothraki for her was still a little rusty but she understood it well enough.

In the past two years she had experience more peace than she had ever thought possible and her little brothers were a large part of that. She loved all three of them but she had a special connection with Haedric. He was the one who most resembled Sirius and his eyes were a darker color and with his tousled dark hair, there were times when he did remind her of Harry.

It was a bittersweet feeling that she always got when she looked at him, but Haedric had a way of ensuring that she was never sad as he hated to see her tears.

The triplets were just over a year old and were already walking, giving Vellaena and Missandei a head ache as they tried to keep up with them.

Ginny helped with them as often as she could but she was essentially her father's right hand man when it came to matters of diplomacy and dealing with the empire they ruled over. She would often handle disputes between members of the small council as well as serve as a mediator when diplomats and other elites from the cities came to Mereen to hold court.

There was to be another court session today as there was one every day and Ginny was taking these few moments to herself before she went down for the session.

She looked down at herself and smirked when she thought of what her mother might have to say about what she was wearing.

The dresses of the women of Essos were far more…..daring to say the least. Plunging necklines, open backs and bare midriffs were just some of the fashions here. At first Ginny had been rather uncomfortable showing so much skin but once she saw her stepmother and Missandei being comfortable wearing these things she had reluctantly followed their lead.

It really was too hot in Essos for long sleeves after all.

Today she was wearing a gown of read that was open in the back and connected to a skirt only with the golden clasp of a gryphon at her navel. Her arms and shoulders were bare and Missandei had put up her hair so that it was off of her shoulders.

 _I suppose I should be glad that I have not burned as much as I might have,_ Ginny though wryly glancing down at her fair skin. _It's always possible that with the sun here I will turn as red as a lobster._

She glanced up at the still rising sun and sighed. It wasn't only her desire to see the rising sun that had roused her so early.

Ever since her time in the House of the Undying, Ginny had been having dreams every night of what she had seen. They weren't nightmares per se but they were odd and disturbing, especially the one she had seen of the throne room covered in snow and inhabited by terrifying ice monsters.

And then there was the one with the man…

She had had that one the least out of all of the others but when she did have it…Ginny would always wake with a longing in her heart and tears would be on her pillow. She had cursed herself more times than she could count for thinking like this when she was sure that the warlocks and the Undying had simply been messing with her mind. No such man existed, no such child existed and she had better begin getting used to it.

And speaking of marriage, there had been many offers put forward for her hand which had been somewhat amusing for Ginny but they had enraged Sirius to no end.

Despite the fact that they were not father and daughter by blood, Sirius protected her as Arthur Weasley had done. In fact he was even fiercer about it and had stared down any man who had come to court with their sons in the hopes that they would be allowed to marry Princess Ginevra.

Vellaena had gently told her husband that he could not turn away every single nobleman that came to their doors. She loved Ginny a good deal as well but she had no desire to see the red head alone for the rest of her life.

She was a stunning young woman but Vellaena wanted to see her happy in a marriage as every time she had brought the matter up to the red head, a sad look would fill her eyes.

And so Vellaena had stopped talking about it and waited for Ginny to come to her about it. She was still young after all and there was time.

The problem was that no one was good enough for Sirius and she knew that someone would have to be good enough eventually. Alliances would have to be made eventually just as they would have to be made for their three sons when they came of age.

For the time being however, she had let the matter drop.

Ginny had her own views on marriage but at the same time a small part of her felt like she was being unfaithful to the memory of Harry by loving and marrying someone else.

She knew she was being ridiculous and had eventually confessed her inner turmoil to Sirius.

Her adoptive father had swiftly embraced her and told her fiercely that he didn't want her to live her life in loneliness. Harry wouldn't have wanted the same for her either. He would have wanted her to be happy and live her life and find someone who was worthy of her.

The conversation had ended with Ginny in tears and Sirius struggling to hold his own back.

She had been more receptive to the idea of marriage since then but she was also very wary of the situation as well. She wanted the person to be special and able to love her the way she wanted to be loved. No man she picked would be Harry but she had accepted that and she had let go of him after that.

The brief time she had shared with Harry had taught her that love was something precious and when one found it, they needed to seize hold of it and never let go as in the next moment it might be gone.

 _I want the person I marry to make me feel like that,_ Ginny thought as she stood atop her balcony in the great pyramid. _I don't think its too much to ask for someone who will love me with his whole heart and soul. And the way I felt in that vision I had in the House of the Undying two years ago…..I want to feel that way again…..I want it badly._

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come!" she called out.

The door opened to reveal Missandei standing there. "Forgive me your grace but court is about to begin and your royal father has asked for your presence."

Ginny smiled at the servant who had become her good friend in the last nearly two years since she had come to Essos. Missandei had kept all of her secrets and had been responsible for helping Ginny to learn Dothraki. She was also someone who was incredibly wise for how young she was.

She and Ginny would often go for long walks down on the shores of Mereen. They would often go disguised as the people who were so fond of calling Ginny _myhsa_ would swarm them.

Sirius didn't like Ginny to go about too much by herself but as long as she stayed out of trouble, there was nothing to fear.

Ginny walked back to her desk and retrieved the thin circlet of gold she had always worn when she attended court before turning to her servant and friend. She didn't particularly like wearing a crown but when faced with their subjects it was a necessary show of power. "Shall we go?"

The two young women left the room and descended the many stairs of the great pyramid to its audience chamber where Sirius held court every day.

The main throne room of the pyramid was made entirely of stone and utterly massive in its proportions. There was an incline of stairs that one would have to walk up to in order to reach the throne which was a large stone chair. Two gryphons that were carved from stone were erected on either side of the throne and stationed beside each member of the twelve Creed warrior in the room were the twelve very much alive gryphons that had hatched since Sirius and Ginny had begun their conquest of Essos.

The beasts were a great source of intimidation for any of the nobles visiting from any of the other cities and ensured that they would not try anything when they came to see the king to air out their problems.

The room was already full of noise as the king had not made an appearance as Ginny and Missandei walked in.

The Creed guard straightened a little and bowed to her as she passed along with the nobles who upon seeing the show of deference bowed as well and the room quieted immediately.

Ginny slowly walked up the stairs to the throne as sitting beside it was a smaller stone chair where she would usually sit beside Sirius and Missandei would stand behind it.

She turned as she reached the landing of the throne and turned to the people in the room who were watching her intently.

"I thank you all for your patience," she said in a loud clear voice. "Court will commence within a few minutes. My father will arrive shortly."

In the next second there was a sharp crack and Ginny smirked as she felt Sirius appear next to her. His apparition right into the court room had startled the nobles, many of whom had jumped back in surprise.

Ginny wanted to roll her eyes at her adoptive father's show of theatrics. He always liked to keep the members of the court on their toes and sometimes apparating was the best way to do that.

The king turned and smiled fondly at the princess. "There is no need for the fanfare my dear daughter. Court will begin now. May the first representative please come forward?"

There was a moment of silence where everyone in the room looked at everyone else, waiting to see who would come forward.

Finally a brave looking man who was very clearly a merchant seemed to summon his courage and come forward.

"What is your name?" Sirius asked in a firm voice.

"Azzik, your grace," the man said calmly. His clothes were not poor but it was obvious that it had been well used and dust was evident on it as if he had travelled a long way. His skin was olive toned as many of the people of the eastern continent were and he had dark hair that was curled into ringlets and his eyes were dark too. He had a strong build as if he had spent a lifetime doing heavy lifting and there was a scarf that covered his head obviously to keep the dust and dirt away from his face. He looked a bit like an Arab to Ginny but she didn't say this of course.

"And what can the court do for you this day Azzik?" Sirius asked.

Ginny smiled privately to herself. Her adoptive father was rather brusque when it came to dealing with matters of the court but she could tell that he had a genuine love for his people and there were many who knew it and responded in kind. It always amused her to see the surprise on people's faces when Sirius asked how he could serve them when they expected it to be the other way around.

"I come from the city of Kosrak your grace at the edge of the Dothraki Sea," Azzik went on and Sirius exchanged glances. They had been hearing some interesting things from that region over the past few weeks.

"Am I correct in assuming that your complaint has much to do with the Dothraki people Azzik?" Sirius asked.

A rather relieved expression covered the man's face and he nodded eagerly. "You are your grace. In recent weeks the city has been plagued by Dothraki raids. We are a smaller city and many of our women have been taken by these barbarians. We have not the military might to fight them off and our walls are crumbling. They have also been plaguing the trade caravans' belonging to myself and others that have been traveling on the edge of the Dothraki Sea bringing trade to Kosrak. We are at our wits end your grace and I fear only your intervention will bring an end to this conflict."

Sirius adopted a rather thoughtful expression and he exchanged a glance with his daughter. "How long has this been occurring Azzik?"

"Just over a moon your grace."

Ginny turned to her father. "Let me go. I will take two thousand Unsullied and we will deal with this problem."

Sirius gave her a severe look. "I only ask you to handle things that are extremely serious with regards to our kingdom. I don't wish for our people to think that you are the only one policing this type of issue. I don't want to use you as my attack dog Ginny."

"They don't," Ginny insisted in a whisper. "The people know me and they know that you and I deal with problems in our kingdom personally. We are not the type of family to let someone else lead our armies in battle. If there's a problem….we deal with it ourselves. You and I have our magic and we both know how to use a sword with effectiveness. No one is going to think of me as your attack dog that you send in when there is a problem. If anything, it will gladden the people of Kosrak to know that they have a ruling monarch who cares enough about them to look into their problems personally."

Sirius sighed quietly and gave her another severe look. "Are you certain of this Ginny?"

She nodded. "I am."

He gave her a sharp nod. "Very well then."

The gryphon king turned back to the merchant who was calmly waiting for an answer and looking rather nervous while doing it.

"A force will be dispatched to Kosrak immediately to deal with your problem Azzik," Sirius replied. "My daughter will be leading them."

The merchant looked both relieved and confused at the answer he had been given for he bowed and then turned to Ginny.

"Forgive me your grace, but is this the sort of environment that you wish to immerse yourself in? The Dothraki are barbarians….they would not hesitate to try and take advantage of you if they were to see you."

Because he had said it with respect, Ginny wasn't upset. If anything she was rather amused.

 _Clearly word of my magic has not yet reached the city of Kosrak yet. Well….they will know it hereafter._

"While I am flattered by your concern Azzik, you need not worry about my safety," Ginny said smoothly. "I am well equipped to handle anything that the Dothraki might have in store."

Azzik still looked uncertain but he nodded and bowed again before stepping back.

"My forces will be dispatched on the morrow to deal with this Dothraki problem," Sirius finished.

"Thank you your grace," Azzik said looking greatly relieved. "It will gladden the citizens of Kosrak greatly to know that their ruler is invested in resolving their problems."

Sirius nodded and the merchant stepped back.

Court carried on but the many problems that were brought to Sirius and Ginny's attention were not as pressing as the one at Kosrak. During this time, Ginny faded out slightly as she was still preoccupied with the dream she had had the night before. This time it had been the one of the strange pale haired handsome man and this time it had been just the two of them on the edge of the Jade Sea. She had been in his arms and the moment had been so intimate that she had woken with a fire in her cheeks.

 _Gods, I have got to stop thinking about this,_ she pondered to herself. _That vision I had was nearly two years ago. It is time to let it go._

She was so lost in her own thoughts that she nearly missed when Sirius called an end to the court session for the day and any issues that had not been addressed would be dealt with on the morrow.

Once the Creed had cleared the court room of the remaining nobles and merchants, Sirius got up and held out his hand to the beautiful red head. "I fancy a walk daughter, will you join me?"

She smiled and took his hand before the two of them left the throne room. They had developed a habit of walking through the gardens that surrounded the great pyramid almost every day after their court sessions. Sirius would always have his arm out in front of him, hand in a fist of which Ginny would place her own hand on top of.

"You seemed distracted today," the king said to her as they walked about the gardens, the Creed soldiers following behind at a distance.

"I suppose I was," Ginny said absently and her adoptive father gave her a knowing look. "Are the dreams still plaguing you?"

After a while the red head had told Sirius about the visions she had seen in the House of the Undying. All but the one about her and the mysterious man that was, it was still too personal to share.

Ginny nodded. "They are not nightmares per se but every so often I will dream of a throne room covered in snow and ice or that I'm back in England in the Burrow with the family that I lost. It is so strange."

Sirius nodded, his eyes turning sad. She knew he missed everyone just as much as she did. They had been an odd family of sorts, but a family no less. The Order had been close to all of its members and when their numbers were wiped out in the war, the loss was tangible.

"I know you miss them," he said quietly. "I do too at times. I'll think I am secure enough to let go and then some memory will overtake me and before I know it, I will be lost in reminiscing."

Ginny hummed in agreement. "I am more grateful for this new life than words can express but there are times when nostalgia about everything that I ever had will come upon me and I need to sit down and think about it."

Sirius nodded again. "However it is this dream about those creatures made of ice that worries me greatly. You do not think that it is a direct reference to the Long Night do you?"

Ginny shuddered. "I hope not. I have read of that horrible time in history thousands of years ago and those others those…..White Walkers are truly terrible to read about. Their power to reanimate the dead is terrifying to think of."

"I feel this is something that I should look into," Sirius mused. "Perhaps there is a time coming when I myself will have to go to Westeros and visit the Wall to see that it is properly staffed with the right sort of men."

"I hope that time will not be soon," Ginny said. "But I do find it odd that we have been the undisputed power in Essos for nearly two years and not one representative has come from Westeros to see what it is that we are doing. Do you think that they do not know or are simply playing ignorant?"

"I very much doubt that," Sirius said chuckling. "They are most likely very aware, and are debating how best to handle us. You must admit, we do present a rather intimidating picture. We conquered the free cities in nearly two years and are in possession of creatures that have not been seen for hundreds of years. Our armies are vast, we have an impressive navy and the economy is booming. On the top of that, House Gryffindor is growing as well. Not only you and I now possess magic but so do your younger brothers and if this keeps up, magic will begin to spread."

"That could potentially be dangerous," Ginny replied. "Can you imagine a bunch of untrained people with magic running amok about Essos? It would be a disaster."

"Aye, it would. But thankfully we may be grateful that those in Essos who possess magic are in this immediate family."

Ginny smirked. "I wouldn't be too sure about that father. Have you spoken with any priests from Asshai lately?"

Sirius frowned. "No, why?"

"Because they are referring to you as Azor Ahai the prince that was promised and the reborn champion of R'hllor."

Sirius scoffed. "That's preposterous."

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Is it? You _were_ reborn from death into this new life. You are not entirely the same man you were before you fell through the Veil. You are not so much of a prankster now as you have a kingdom to run. To make matters even more alarming, the sword of Godric Gryffindor that you carry, his original great sword when he lived in this world, is being called the reincarnation of Lightbringer."

Now Sirius looked worried. "I do not care for this eastern religion and the fanaticism that it inspires. If I were a different man I would probably try to stamp out these eccentricities and burn all of these priests and priestesses at the stake."

"They'd probably find that quite agreeable as their god is one of fire. But this Lord of Light worries me somewhat," Ginny said.

"Well don't let it," Sirius said leaning over so he could kiss her on the forehead. "I want to ensure that you are not worried about your trip to Kosrak tomorrow."

"Why would I be worried about that?" Ginny asked frowning.

"Because armed conflicts, while you have been involved in them before….the Dothraki are a different breed and what Azzik said in the court room is true. They will not hesitate to try and take you. You have grown into a stunning young woman…..one no man could over look, least of all them."

Ginny smiled at her adoptive father. "Well thank you very much, but give me some credit. I can take care of myself."

"I know that, and I am thankful that your magic ensures that you will always be safe. But it does not mean that I don't worry about you. You are still my daughter Ginny and I would see you happy and safe always."

Ginny leaned over and placed a kiss on Sirius's cheek. "And I know that father but rest assured that I will not take any chances. I don't have a wish to spill any more blood than necessary and nor do I want to be in Kosrak any longer than necessary. Hopefully this whole debacle will take no more than a week. I will help to erect a stronger wall around Kosrak and place runes in it that will prevent sieges. The Dothraki are barbarians but they are not conquerors. Once it is through their heads that they cannot continue to raid Kosrak, than they will leave it alone. And if it bothers you that much, I will bring Septimus with me."

Sirius sighed but looked relieved at the mention of the dragon. "Very well, but there may come a time when we need to ride forth astride our dragons and deal with the Dothraki once and for all. I will not have raids happening in my kingdom."

Ginny waved her hand dismissively. "They are an annoyance…..nothing more and nothing less. If we cut off all of their options in terms of economy than before long they will come to us and we can come to some sort of agreement with them. I doubt they will give up their way of life but perhaps something can be worked out."

"We can decide on that plan of action later," Sirius replied.

"Indeed," Ginny said. "Now I think I will go find Septimus and we will fly for the day. I haven't been out on him for a while and if we are marching to Kosrak tomorrow, I will need to get as much sleep as I can."

Ω

 **I decided to not spend too much time talking about the great pyramid as we all know what it looks like and have seen it in the show. I skimmed over the conquest of Essos as it really isn't necessary to describe it and now we can get on to the good stuff. In the next chapter we see Ginny's trip to Kosrak and Steffon Baratheon arrives in Mereen. Don't forget to review!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

 _It has been a long time since mine eyes have seen the Free Cities….though I suppose they cannot be called that anymore._

Steffon Baratheon could well admit that he was apprehensive.

When his king and cousin had all but demanded that he make for Mereen to treat with King Sirius Gryffindor about marrying his only daughter to Prince Rhaegar he had thought him mad.

Even more so than usual.

Not only were the chances of this king, this….sorcerer saying yes to such a union slim to none, but Steffon had been having visions of being turned into something dreadful if he displeased the man. Aerys might have been a mad man but he was still a man and Steffon knew what to expect from him.

This Gryphon King he did not.

Lord Varys had come to his chambers the night before he and his wife Cassana had left for the Free Cities to make him aware of the information he had received on Sirius Gryffindor. As far as he was concerned, it hadn't been enough and his apprehension had only increased in the three weeks since he had left King's Landing for Mereen.

He had to admit however, his curiosity was piqued about this new king and his daughter who were high calibre sorcerers. He had heard some rather outlandish things from the captain of their ship who was himself, originally from Braavos.

He claimed that the Gryphon King was a man who could change his form, travel across great distances, conjure fire, water and stone out of thin air and kill a man with a wave of his hand.

It was that last part that had him worried the most.

Aerys had all but ordered him not to return until he had secured Ginevra Gryffindor as a bride for Prince Rhaegar but Steffon truly didn't know how that was possible given what he had heard.

Also in his own private opinion, he didn't think that Aerys was in any position to be making demands of King Sirius. The mad king had never before been faced with the possibility that there was anyone else in the known world more powerful than he and now that that reality was rapidly becoming true, Steffon wondered if the man's grasp on reality was slipping even further.

He also wondered about his own ability to convince this man this…..king to let his firstborn daughter travel across the Narrow Sea to marry a man she had perhaps never even heard of.

Right now he wasn't as convinced of the possibility of success as Aerys seemed to be.

The Gryphon King was a man who possessed no less than seven dragons which alone would have been enough to burn Westeros to ash.

 _If I anger this man in any way, at the very least I suppose I won't have to return to King Aerys empty handed because I will not be returning at all._

However as they sailed into the newly named Gryphon Bay, and Steffon got his first look at Mereen, for a moment he forgot all about the task he had been assigned and felt his jaw slacken in shock and awe.

He knew that Mereen was one of the greatest cities in Essos next to Qarth and had many wonders. Its great pyramid alone was a sight to behold and gleamed like it was made of solid gold in the midday sun.

It was a perfect day for travel with a hot sun overhead, not a cloud in the sky and a consistent breeze blowing from the west which pushed them even further east.

The water of Gryphon Bay was as clear as glass and in some places Steffon thought that he might be able to see clear to the bottom if he looked hard enough.

He felt someone gently touch his arm and looked up with a smile to see his wife Cassana at his side.

"Are you well my love?" she asked in concern. "You appear tense."

Steffon barked out a laugh. "Given that the task our most benevolent king has given us will be next to impossible to complete, I would say that that is a fair assumption to make."

Cassana frowned. "I know it will be difficult but do you honestly expect this king to refuse his daughter a match that would one day make her a queen?"

"I know not," Steffon sighed. "But I have heard some rather odd things about this king myself as have you and I do not know how to predict him which would be enough to make any man anxious. From what the spies of Lord Varys have told him, this king prizes his daughter highly and even a proposal of marriage from a future king may not be enough for him to let her go."

"You worry too much," Cassana said soothing him. "If what Lord Varys told us is also true, than we can expect that this king Sirius Gryffindor is in fact a benevolent man. He would have to be in order to abolish the slave trade and take care of the poor in such a way as he and his daughter have done."

Steffon nodded, reluctantly conceding the point. "There is that yes."

His wife put his arm through hers. "Than your anxiety is exceeding your rationale. Whoever he is, this man cannot be as bad as the king we just left."

She lowered her voice exponentially as she said this and looked from side to side. Even though they were in the Free Cites and far away from Westeros it was still a good idea to be careful as they didn't know who might be listening.

"Aye, of that we can agree on. But the unknown is not something I am accustomed to dealing with and this is a situation where the unknowns are a paramount thing."

His wife sighed and took his hand as the two of them looked out over the beauty of Gryphon Bay. Steffon could tell right away that the Free Cities were a lot cleaner than King's Landing. There the stink permeated the air one breathed and there were times when he felt as if his lungs were being clogged if he breathed too deeply.

In Essos, the air was far fresher and clearer and he had no problems taking as many deep breaths as he desired.

Gryphon Bay was in the shape of a perfect horseshoe and he could see many ships weighing anchor as they passed. There was the sound of sailors calling to one another from across the water in their many tongues and the salt in the air was sharp.

The sun was warm against their faces as they looked up to it and with the steady wind blowing, they would reach the harbor in perhaps another five minutes.

"It certainly is beautiful here," Cassana muttered. "I have always wanted to visit the Free Cities and now we have a custom excuse to do so."

"This is not a pleasure cruise my dear," Steffon said and his wife pouted at him.

"But surely we can combine business with pleasure my love," she said and he gave her a fond smile.

"Once I have completed my task of ensuring a bride for our prince, I will be able to provide you with the pleasure you desire my wife."

She gave him a cheeky smile, one that did things to his insides. "I will hold you to that."

Their rather intimate conversation was suddenly interrupted by a screech from overhead. Steffon jerked his head upwards and was astonished to see a large winged creature swooping over the deck of the ship.

It was not a dragon of this he could tell right away for it was far too small. But it was the most unusual creature he had ever seen.

From the short look he had been allowed, he could tell it was a sort of hybrid creature as he could see the sharp talons of a bird and its head was one of a bird of prey. The second half of its body was that of a lion with its golden pelt and tail and back paws. Its great white wings gave off a great pulsing wind as it flew and Steffon felt it blow his hair back as the odd creature passed.

He and his wife watched in shock and awe as the winged creature swooped around the mast of the ship once and then flew back towards the city.

"What in the name of the seven was that?" Cassana whispered clutching Steffon's arm.

The weathered captain who was standing at the helm at the back of the ship where they were let out a bark of a laugh.

"I imagine that's your first time seeing a gryphon my lord, my lady," he said in a voice as salty as the sea they had just left.

"Indeed," Steffon said straightening his doublet in an attempt to regain some of the dignity he was sure he had lost. "Is that its name? What sort of creature is it?"

"There is a peculiar legend about gryphons in the Free Cities," the captain replied. "No one here has ever seen a real one though I imagine there are stories about them. I recall a merchant telling me the ancient Valyrians were the last to possess them and since the Doom none have survived. At least it was thought that none of them had survived.

They are odd creatures….half lion and half eagle and no one really knows how they came to be. If I have my guess, they may have been found just as the dragons were."

Steffon glanced at Cassana before turning back to the grizzled captain. "And I imagine that the one in possession of these creatures is King Sirius?"

"Oh aye," the captain said cheerily. "There are a dozen of them, always constantly flying about the city. They are gentle beasts, but downright vicious when angered. It is said that they can tear a man's arm clean off with their beaks alone."

Steffon shuddered slightly and tried to remember the reason why he was here. _I certainly hope that king Sirius does not constantly keep these creatures in his presence at all times. This task has become infinitely more complicated._

The apprehensive look on his face must have doubled because his wife gave his hand a squeeze and he in turn gave her a gentle smile.

"We will be landing in the harbor within a few minutes my lord, my lady," the captain said. "I suggest you ready yourselves to disembark. And welcome to Mereen."

Ω

Sirius sighed and pushed the documents he had been reading on the desk away. There were times when being a king really gave him a head ache.

Ginny had left a week ago as the sun was just rising and riding upon Septimus with two thousand Unsullied marching below her and ten of the Creed guards he had insisted she take, she had presented a rather impressive sight.

Quite a few people had stopped in the motion of their daily activities to see their princess flying by towards her mission of diplomacy and the awe on their faces was plain to see.

Of all of the accomplishments he had made so far, Ginny becoming his daughter in all but blood was the one he was most proud of.

She had lost far more when she had fallen into Essos than he had and yet she had persevered and dealt with her grief. She had risen almost like a phoenix from the ashes of her past to become the woman she was today. She was a stunning individual, beautiful inside and out and her genuine care for the people of Essos had earned her the favor and adoration of all of the people in Mereen and beyond.

He looked down at the documents that required his signature with a wry smile. If Ginny were here, she would most likely be poring over these with him. More trade was coming into Braavos and he would need to begin to send more soldiers there to protect the merchants from those who would make off with their wares.

Running an empire was a lot of work.

He ran a hand through his dark curls and hoped that Ginny would be safe on her journey to Kosrak. Despite how powerful she was and how strong she had become since coming here, he still worried about her.

She had become the apple of his eye in these last two years. In fact, since Sirius had married Vellaena and started a family with her as well he had never been happier. He had been over the moon when he had seen the Qartheen woman demonstrate the same love and caring to Ginny that she had to their three new sons who were just over a year old and were beginning to walk and talk.

At first he had been able to tell that the red head was a little wary of the Qartheen woman but after a while they had developed a deep friendship that had changed into understanding and respect over time.

They were nowhere near as close as Ginny and Molly had been but Sirius didn't expect them to be. He had prayed for all of their sakes that this new family would find peace and happiness and against all odds they had.

He glanced down at the maps that were sitting on his desk in his chambers. Vellaena must have been down in the gardens with Missandei and the triplets at the time and while he wished to join them, he knew he had to take care of some work first.

As much as he and Ginny had conquered Essos in the last two years, there were still a few cities that remained unconquered.

The island of Ibben and the region of Sarnor remained unconquered. He had seen envoys from both cities in the last few months since he had set up his center of power in Mereen. Ibben was a port city that did not rely on slavery but trade for their main source of income so Sirius was content enough to leave them alone for the time being.

It was Sarnor that he was concerned about, particularly Morosh and Santh on the edge of the Shivering Sea.

They had refused to bend the knee to him even if it meant their imminent destruction and though he was a man who had conquered the Free Cities, he was also not a butcher. Santh and Morosh were also port cities that did not rely on the slave trade so he had no reason to conquer them.

But there was something about the leaders of those cities that wasn't quite….right. Sirius knew they wouldn't be foolish enough to mount a rebellion with the amount of power he had. The dragons alone would burn the cities to ash.

Sirius had no need of them to join his empire but he had to admit that he was curious as to why they hadn't. It couldn't just be the matter of independence as other than the implementation of a small council that would govern the city, a city watch and perhaps several appropriate changes in government, there was much that would remain the same.

 _Perhaps when Ginny returns from Kosrak, she and I should take a little trip to Morosh and Santh. I'm not sure that I buy this plea for independence when they have much to gain in the empire we have created. More protection for one, pirates do patrol the coastlines of Essos. There have been instances in the past few months where I have heard of pirates patrolling the coast of Vahar and Faros. They are coming dangerously close to Qarth and it will not be long before I receive a raven from Aenor about sending more security to the city. Perhaps it is time that I look into the situation myself. Something seems off about this whole arrangement._

He had made up his mind to do just that and bent his head to pour over the map, analyzing trade patterns once more when there came a soft knock on the door.

The Gryphon King looked up and bright smile came to his face when he saw his beautiful wife standing at the threshold.

Vellaena had been a great source of comfort and help to Sirius over the last two years of their marriage. He had seen her blossom in her care of the city and all of the poor loved their queen and gave her great deference. Though she did not possess magic like he and Ginny did, the amount of energy she had when it came to the running of Mereen was nothing short of miraculous.

She managed to care for him, their three sons, the great pyramid itself as well as the care of the poor in the city with grace and a smile constantly on her lips.

It gave him great pride to see how well she had adjusted to her life as a queen. All of her family had been wiped out when Xaro Daxos tried to take over Qarth. And seeing as how she only had one other brother who was set to take over for her father when the Spice king had died, she had had no one when Sirius conquered Qarth.

Marrying him had given her a great deal of happiness that had nothing to do with her new title as a queen.

But as Sirius looked at her, he could tell that she had a rather serious look on her on her face and he wondered at the reason. Rising from his chair he started toward her.

"My love are you unwell? Where are the boys?"

She shook her head. "They are with Missandei and no darling I am not unwell…..but one of the servants just came to me with some information that I thought you should know."

Sirius's eyes narrowed. "What is it?"

In answer to his question Vellaena paused for a moment before she took hold of her husband's hand and led him out onto their balcony.

Ginny's chambers were just down the hall from theirs and they all had their private domains in the top most level of the pyramid where enormous stone balconies looked down on the entirely of the city. Their private domains were in the apex of the pyramid, allowing them a perfect view of the entirety of the city and the harbor beyond.

The sun was shining on the balcony and Sirius blinked for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the light.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

Vellaena paused at the edge of the balcony and rested her hands on the stone wall of it that was at the very ledge.

"You once asked me to notify you immediately if any foreign ships came into the harbor," she said and Sirius narrowed his eyes at her.

"I did. And am I correct in assuming that one has in fact dropped anchor in Mereen's bay?"

She nodded. "You are. And it is that one there."

She raised her hand and pointed down into the bay, causing Sirius to squint slightly through the glare of the sun.

When he had finally achieved his focus, his eyes narrowed and his mouth hardened into a frown. "Well….would you look at that?"

The ship that his wife had indicated was not of Essosi make. It was much wider and its masts were slightly taller. Plus its sails also bore colors that he was familiar with as he had seen them on ships in Westeros when he had traded there before.

They were an all too familiar shade of black and yellow and Sirius knew right away that these were the house colors of the Baratheons.

He had never been to Storm's End, but he had seen the ships when he had been in White Harbor to trade and the Baratheon stag was something that he would never forget seeing as how it was the Animagus of his best friend in his first life.

 _How odd,_ he thought to himself. _I wonder what a ship from Westeros is doing in these waters. Least of all a Baratheon vessel._

He turned to his wife who was watching him carefully. "Did the servant provide you with any more information?"

As king of a united empire, Sirius had eyes and ears in every corner of Mereen. Some of them were his soldiers, but others were simply put in the right place at the right time.

Many of the soldiers and sailors down on the dock knew him personally because they were people he had brought with him from Qarth and reported to him with any strange whisperings they heard.

"He did," Vellaena told me. "He had been down on the docks speaking with one of the sailors about the manner of produce that had been brought in from Volantis in the past week and happened to see the ship before it dropped anchor. After that, a small row boat was lowered with a man, a woman and the ship's captain aboard. A second row boat was lowered after that in which there were several large trunks. Now he said that the man and woman in question were splendidly dressed and it was quite obvious that they were from a Westerosi noble family."

Sirius ran a hand through his hair and began to pace slowly about the balcony. "No ship has come from Westeros since I took up the mantle as the King of Essos. What could they possibly be sending one for now?"

Vellaena shrugged her shoulders. "I know not my love. But that wasn't all. The servant informed me that once the small boat bearing the man and woman and the one with the parcels had drawn up to the docks that he had heard the captain speaking with the couple. And he distinctly heard the captain call the man Lord Steffon."

At this, Sirius was even more alert. "Lord Steffon? As in Steffon Baratheon?"

"I assume so yes."

"Interesting," her husband muttered as he began to pace about again. "A Baratheon in Essos. It certainly has been a long time since that has occurred."

"Indeed," Vellaena continued. "But I am still not quite finished."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "There's more?"

She smiled at him. "Yes my love. Lord Steffon and the woman who I am assuming is his wife asked the captain if there was any sort of litter that might bring them to the great pyramid."

At this Sirius's eyebrows shot to his hairline. "They're coming here?"

"I would assume so."

Sirius strode to the edge of the balcony and gripped the stones as he looked down at the harbor and the unfamiliar ship in it.

"Interesting," he muttered. "I began my conquest of this country nearly two years ago and _now_ they take notice? Am I so far beneath Aerys Targaryen's notice that it is only when I have conquered nearly every city on this continent and been declared a king that he turns his head in my direction?"

"Have you been in dire need of his attention my love?" Vellaena asked sounding amused.

Sirius scoffed at her. "Of course not. But I am questioning the timing. Why send a representative from Westeros to me now?"

"Perhaps it was because they did not believe that conquering this continent was something that you were actually capable of," Vellaena suggested. "They did not know of your magic, they may not have known of the dragons or the gryphons or the speed with which the Free Cities fell to you."

"There is that," Sirius mused. "But if that is so, than perhaps they have recognized that we are a legitimate threat and are wishing to extend the hand of friendship before I do."

"There is that possibility. If they have recognized that there is a new power in this world than they may think that starting off on good relations with you is the best way to ensure that you do not attack them with our many pets."

Sirius smirked at her. "Then they are sorely mistaken. I have no desire to conquer Westeros. I am not Aegon Targaryen and running an empire on one continent is enough trouble as it is. Peace has finally been achieved and I would see it continue."

" _I_ know that," Vellaena said. "But it would seem that Aerys Targaryen does not."

"Aye," Sirius muttered. "And thus the dragon king sends his cousin to me to see what my intentions are."

"It is a bold move on his part."

"Indeed," Sirius muttered. "He could have sent anyone from the royal keep but yet he sends his cousin….a family member with direct ties to the Targaryens."

"Perhaps he is testing you," Vellaena suggested. "Or perhaps this is a sign of his good faith. If he did not hold you in any type of regard than he would have sent someone that was not significant to you or him. Yet he sends his cousin. It may be that he wishes to see how you will treat Lord Steffon. If you welcome him, it will be a sign of your good will and that you bear no ill intent towards Westeros. But if you do not welcome him, than he will have some sort of way of predicting you. It may be that he wishes to know what you intend to do in your new role as king."

Sirius smirked. "Then let him learn….I have nothing to hide."

Vellaena nearly rolled her eyes at her husband. "No, you do not. But do try not to demonstrate this hubris that you sometimes have when Lord Steffon does arrive. It is my understanding that even now he and his wife are finding a way to come to us."

Sirius grinned. "Very well then, I suppose we should welcome our guests from Westeros."

The words had no sooner left his mouth when there was a tap on the door.

"Come," Sirius barked.

The door opened and revealed one of his advisors, a man by the name of Gulian. He was the youngest son of one of the wealthier members of Mereen and had been astonished when the new king had offered him a place in his court. As the youngest son, he hadn't expected to receive much and yet he had a sharp mind for politics. He also didn't have a dishonest bone in his body which made him of inestimable value to Sirius.

The young man bowed when he saw the royal couple together. "Forgive me your graces, but a litter bearing Lord Steffon Baratheon and his wife Lady Cassana have just arrived at the gates of the pyramid. The Creed guards are asking if we should admit them."

"Admit them," Sirius said turning to the young man. And bring them to the audience chamber. I find I am rather curious to meet our guests from the West and see what they have to say."

Gulian bowed before hurrying off.

Vellaena smiled at him. "That is all well and good my love. But if I may make one request before we return to the audience chamber?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "And what is that my darling wife?"

"Please do not use your magic to frighten or intimidate them. It is likely that they will know by now that you are a sorcerer as it would have been impossible to conquer the entire coastline of Essos and some of the interior without it. But that does not mean that you need to put on the same type of show as you do when you go into battle. Also, please leave the dragons in the pit below the pyramid where they remain when they are not flying. We are intimidating enough without them."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "You wound me dear wife. When have I ever done such a thing?"

This time, Vellaena really did roll her eyes before taking his hand. "Come along my king. We have guests to entertain."

Ω

Steffon hadn't been sure of what to think when the litter he and his wife had managed to obtain arrived at the gates of the great pyramid.

It loomed over every other structure in Mereen like it was some ancient giant and could be seen from every corner of the city.

At the very summit of the magnificent structure he could see the effigy of the golden gryphon, the symbol of House Gryffindor.

"It is magnificent isn't it?" Cassana asked as she leaned against him looking out the window as well.

"Indeed," Steffon said quietly.

The pyramid itself was eight hundred feet tall and had been built as an echo to the great pyramid of Ghis. It had thirty three levels, many of which were thought to have been used for the worship of the old gods of Ghis.

His thoughts had been flying a mile a minute since the great pyramid had come into focus while they were still on the ship in the bay. This trip was going to prove to be far more interesting than any he had ever taken before.

It wasn't until they reached the gates of the pyramid and he took a look at the men responsible for admitting them that he began to realize just how much loyalty Sirius Gryffindor enjoyed.

The guard at the gates were some of the oddest and most intimidating soldiers he had ever seen.

Steffon had been in battles before but even though a man's face may be covered by his helm, he had always been able to see his eyes through the holes in the helmet.

With these men, the hoods they wore covered more than half their visage and only their mouths were visible. They were dressed in the light black cloaks bearing the symbol of House Gryffindor and Steffon could see armor beneath the garment. He wondered how they were wearing armor in this heat but with one glance at the twin swords on every man's back and the metal braces on their arms it told him that he was once more to be careful as he was in an unknown place. He had only to look up at the walls surrounding the pyramid which were forty feet high and made of solid rock to know that.

When the litter had passed through the gates surrounding the pyramid and into the gardens beyond, Steffon could see a massive expanse of gardens surrounding the pyramid.

There were exotic fruit trees and flowering shrubs with exquisite buds in full bloom. There was a marble bench situated every fifteen feet beneath the trees that would allow for comfort from the sun and many pools with fountains scattered everywhere.

He looked ahead of him and noticed that the pyramid was even more massive from this close proximity to it.  
They were coming to the large doorway that led into it and the moment the litter passed through the doorway into the cool quiet of the pyramid, it suddenly hit Steffon how close they were to achieving their task and he swallowed hard.

The litter traveled down a long hallway in which the sounds of the servant's steps on the stones echoed off the walls. It was a very quiet place but the many different colored stones that made up the walls of the pyramid were a sight to behold. The ceilings were high and lofty and it was very cool inside the pyramid. Steffon figured this must have been because the walls of the pyramid were so thick, any heat was trapped outside and not allowed in.

After around a five minute ride, the litter came to a stop in what appeared to be an indoor courtyard. There was a large pool with a marble fountain in the center of said courtyard and the steady trickle of water created an echoing sound throughout the whole chamber. There were colorful mosaic tiles decorating the floor and the whole atmosphere was one of peace and tranquility. There was a single window carved into the rock that let in the light of the sun but that was all the illumination the pyramid boasted of.

The litter was set on the ground and the door was then opened for Steffon and Cassana to disembark.

Once they did so and were standing on their feet in the courtyard, the servants began unpacking the trunks they had brought with them. They had only called for a few personal affects to be brought from the ship as it was there that they intended to stay.

"Look at all of this," Cassana whispered as she started towards the pool with the fountain. "Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?"

"It is quite exotic my love," Steffon concurred. "But I wonder if it is here that the king will greet us."

"The king will be greeting you shortly."

At the sound of a new voice, the Lord of Storm's End looked up to see that a man had entered the chamber from a side hallway and was making his way towards them. His clothes were plain but not poor and they were a tan color with a golden gryphon clasp holding the material together at the shoulder. There were knotted sandals upon his feet, a scroll clasped in his left arm and his dark curls were oiled and gleaming, brushing his collar.

He approached them and Cassana got to her feet as the young man bowed to them. "Lord Steffon, Lady Cassana, welcome to Mereen and the realm of King Sirius Gryffindor. My name is Gulian and I am one of king Sirius's advisors and the steward of the Great Pyramid. If you will allow me, the servants will bring your things to your guest chambers on the thirtieth floor. If the two of you will follow me, I will bring you to the audience chamber where King Sirius is waiting to meet with you."

Steffon exchanged a wary glance with his wife. "King Sirius knew of our coming?"

Gulian nodded. "Of course. The king has eyes and ears all throughout Mereen. As soon as your ship came into Gryphon Bay he was aware of who you were and that you were coming to speak with him."

"An observant man," Steffon observed quietly.

"Come," Gulian said striding back out through the door and leaving the two Baratheons to follow him. "I will bring you to the audience chamber. The servants will see to your things."

"That's not necessary," Steffon said quickly. "My wife and I had planned to stay on board our ship. We do not wish to imposition his majesty."

"It is no imposition at all," came Gulian's calm voice. "You are guests from Westeros. The king would not think of denying you hospitality while you are in Mereen."

He said no more after that and simply led the two of them down a long stone corridor and up several flights of stone stairs.  
Something Steffon noticed right away was the fact that the stone stairs were embedded in the solid rock walls and lined with torches that burned with a curious blue flame.

"Gulian?" Cassana called out and the steward paused. "Yes Lady Baratheon?"  
Steffon's lady wife had paused when she noticed the curious nature of the torches lining the walls. "Why is it that the flame is blue and not yellow or orange?"

The steward walked back to the torch she had been examining and removed it from the wall before showing her some curious markings along the metal from which the flame was lit.

"It is charmed with magic Lady Baratheon," he explained calmly. "King Sirius wishes for there to be no possibility of fire damage in his home and so he has charmed the flames to never go out and never cast sparks."

Steffon blinked. Was such a thing possible? He had heard of the Gryphon King's sorcery from Lord Varys but up until that point he hadn't been sure he had quite believed it. Now however he had a tangible example of such magic and all of a sudden his apprehension returned.

"Come along my lord, my lady," Gulian said after he had replaced the torch in the wall. "It is not wise to keep the king waiting."

They continued on their way and the higher they went, the less windows there were and the more torches and candles. There was a sweet smell of incense on the air and

Steffon wondered where it was coming from or whether it was not more magic wrought by the Gryphon King.

It seemed they had climbed a million flights of stairs before Gulian turned one last corner and they came into a large stone audience chamber.

There was an elevated platform at the back of the chamber that one could reach only be a series of stairs that began in the center of the room. In every corner there were four large bronze braziers burning with the same curious blue flame he had seen in the torches.

It was then that he noticed the guards and the gryphons.

Seeing one flying over the ship in the bay had been a surreal enough experience but to see one now standing only several feet away from him prompted Steffon to do a double take. He could fully admit that they were magnificent creatures and their enormous white wings that were folded back created a majestic picture. Their large amber eyes followed him and his wife as he passed them though they made no move towards him and Cassana for which he was grateful.

He counted twelve guards in the chamber and standing next to every guard opposite the pillar the guard was standing was a gryphon.

"Are the gryphons tame Gulian?" he asked the steward once they had stopped at the base of the stairs.

"The only one who knows their minds is the king himself," the young man answered. "He has hatched them all and raised them from the egg. They are to protect the royal family just as the guards of the Creed do. They are gentle creatures but the only ones who have their undivided obedience are those members of the royal family."

"Can they be ridden?" Cassana asked, her eyes glued to the beautiful creatures that were the size of horses.

"The only ones to ever do so are the King, the queen and the princess," Gulian explained. "The royal princes are still too young yet I am sure they will ride them eventually."

He nodded to them once more. "Please wait here. His majesty will be joining you shortly."

Without another word, the steward left the audience chamber the way he had come and Steffon and Cassana were left alone.

The guards of the Creed didn't even look at them but Steffon had a feeling they would be ready to jump into action at a moment's notice.

He took another moment to look around and then it was that he noticed the throne itself.

He had seen the Iron Throne in the red keep more times than he could count but he had never thought that he would see another one so vastly different.

In all the world up until the last few weeks he had thought there would only ever be one king and yet now he was standing before the throne of another.

The throne of the Gryphon King was vastly different than the Iron throne that he was used to.

For one thing, it was not made out of the melted down sword of conquered enemies, something Steffon had found more than a little monstrous. This one appeared to be made of gold, or at least a metal with the appearance of gold he had never seen before. The back of the throne itself had marvelous detail and appeared to be seven rather large wings all connected but fanning out like the rays of the sun the farther away they were from the chair itself. The wings themselves were fashioned to look like that of the gryphon wings Steffon realized and thought it oddly appropriate given the title the king had.

"It's far different than the iron throne that we're used to isn't it?" Cassana whispered and her husband nodded.

Sitting next to the throne was a similar chair but of a smaller make and this one was made of stone rather than the curious golden metal of its predecessor.

There was one window in the chamber that let in the sun at a perfect angle so its light was cast upon the throne, making it glow.

"This is it," Steffon whispered. "We have traveled for weeks to meet with this Gryphon King and now we are standing before him waiting for him to make his appearance. I wonder how different he will be to the king we have left behind."

All of a sudden there was a soft cracking sound behind them.

"It is my hope that I am vastly different," said a new voice. "For what is power if one does not use it wisely?"

Steffon and Cassana whirled around to see who had spoken.

Standing on the platform just in front of the winged throne, was a new man whom the Baratheons had never seen before.

 _Where did he come from?_ Steffon wondered.

He had hair as dark as Steffon's and eyes of the blackest night. His robes were simple but it was easy to see that they were very well made. They were completely black and trimmed with exquisite golden threads. There was a single golden ring on his finger with a black stone embedded in its face.

It was then that Steffon noticed the winged crown upon his head and realized that this was in fact the Gryphon King they had traveled so far to see.

He was still relatively young for a king and looked no more than thirty and eight. There was no strands of grey in his glossy dark curls and no lines in his face. He was tall, tan and well-built with the handsome face of a man who was still in the flower of vitality. The crown he bore upon his head was winged like his throne; a perfect band of golden metal that had four wings protruding from it skyward. His voice which was low and rumbling like thunder when he spoke and Steffon had the feeling that this man was not only a king but a commander as well. This was a man who had the charisma to command legions and he would have to be in order to do what he had done.

Standing beside him with her hand on his arm was a beautiful woman with the same glossy dark hair as her husband. She had eyes of the palest shade of gold and was clothed in a splendid dress of gold with Myrish silk and lace decorating the train and the bodice which revealed an open back. Her dark glossy curls were half up while the rest hung down her back in waves. She wore no crown but Steffon could tell right away that this must be Queen Vellaena.

Instantly the guards in the room all bowed and Steffon was astonished when even the gryphons followed suit, bending their front legs so their heads were lowered.

After a moment's hesitation he bowed low and his wife followed, sweeping into a deep curtsy.

"Rise Lord Steffon," the king said as he sat down with the queen walking over to the smaller throne and seating herself on it. "I would not have a member of Westerosi nobility bow to me. Your journey has been long and your fatigue is evident on your face."

"The weather was fair your grace," Steffon said getting to his feet. Cassana joined him and took his hand. He squeezed it absently, glad for her support. "We experienced no trouble on our journey."

"Good," Queen Vellaena said in a soft voice. "We would hate for our guests from Westeros to experience hardship on their journey to Mereen."

"I must admit, I am rather curious about your intentions in Mereen Lord Baratheon," the king continued. "May I ask why you have come?"

Steffon didn't dare look at Cassana and see the look on her face as he prepared himself to deliver the address he had been tasked with.

"I come on behalf of King Aerys Targaryen your grace," he began. "It is his wish that now that Essos has formed an empire that there be relations of the highest quality between both countries."

The king exchanged glances with his queen and the both of them turned to Steffon who was surprised to see that Sirius Gryffindor looked rather amused. "Is it indeed? How gracious of him. However you must understand my confusion Lord Baratheon. Mereen and the entire coastline of Essos has been under my control for some months now so it is to the befuddlement of myself and my family that Aerys Targaryen sends a representative of his kingdom to me now. Especially since his chosen representative is from his own family."

Steffon stiffened ever so slightly but he could tell that his wife had felt it for she squeezed his hand tighter.

Was he being tested? Or was it somehow possible that King Sirius knew of the mission for which he had been sent and was luring him into a false sense of security?

The look of uncertainty must have been evident on his face for he nearly jerked when the king surprised him by laughing. It was a laugh that said that the man had the situation well in hand. The fact that he did meant that Steffon didn't which only served to further his apprehension.

"This leaves me to conclude a number of things," King Sirius said. "Your king wishes to see how I will treat you as a means of understanding how I will handle relations with Westeros. It is a means of seeing how I will operate in my role as king. The other option is that he wants something. Is that not so Lord Baratheon?"

The man was obviously no fool and Steffon decided it was time to cease mincing his words. "Yes your grace that is so."

Sirius smiled. "And which of the options that I have just detailed for you am I correct about?"

Steffon took a deep breath. "The second one your grace."

The Gryphon King smiled and it was a chilly one that sent a shiver down Steffon's back. He folded his hands in his lap, fingertips pressed together as if he were considering some sort of business deal.

There was a long silence in the chamber in which Steffon felt his uncertainty begin to crowd in around him.

"And now we come to the heart of the matter," the king said and Steffon frowned. "Your grace?"

The Gryphon king looked up at the Lord of Storm's End and smiled again. "And what may I ask is it that your king wishes from me Lord Steffon?"

His smile was still in place but his black eyes had turned dangerous and Steffon realized he needed to be even more careful than he had been before.

"Word of your power and influence and the many conquests that you have carried out has traveled across the Narrow Sea your grace," he began. "Word has also reached King Aerys ears of the great power that you possess and he wishes to make an alliance with you. Through marriage."

Sirius said nothing but raised an eyebrow at the lord, indicating that he should go on. Steffon took that as a good sign and continued.

"It is King Aerys desire to wed your daughter Ginevra to his eldest son Prince Rhaegar. I am assured that it will be a good match that will one day ensure her as Westeros's queen."

"Indeed?" Sirius asked, the dangerous glint in his eye never having faded. "And he sent you to ensure that this task was carried out?"

Steffon swallowed. "Yes your grace, he did."

The smile remained but somehow Steffon didn't believe it was a friendly one. "And am I correct in assuming that through this alliance he wishes that it will be assured that I do not invade Westeros with my dragons should the desire present itself to me?"

Steffon glanced for the briefest of seconds at his wife which was all the answer that Sirius needed.

The king was quiet for a moment before he surprised Steffon once more by looking up. "Gulian!"

The steward appeared immediately from the side door of the audience chamber where he had led the Baratheons through earlier. "Yes your grace?"

"See to it that Lady Cassana is shown to her rooms on the thirtieth floor, she must be tired from her journey," the king said and the Lady of Storm's End gave her husband an almost panicked look at the thought of them being separated.

Fortunately Queen Vellaena picked up on her anxious expression and got to her feet. "Not to worry my lady. I will accompany you. Perhaps after that I may show you around the gardens and around the exterior of the pyramid. We keep a good deal many animals in the eastern and western walls at the base of the pyramid. Perhaps you would like to see the elephants we house in the eastern walls. They are enough away from the dragon pit that they are not disturbed by our winged creatures."

"Of….Of course your grace," Cassana said the interruption in her statement was barely noticeable. "I would be honored to see it all."

Steffon noticed that before the queen came down the stairs to take his wife's arm and lead her away that she kissed the king on the cheek and he gave her a fond smile at she passed.

Cassana hesitantly took the queen's arm when the other woman offered it to her and the two moved off to follow Gulian into the pyramid once more.

Only when the two woman were gone did the king get to his feet. "Now then Lord Steffon. I believe it is our turn."

Steffon frowned. "Our turn your grace?"

The king slowly came down the stairs towards him and the closer he came, Steffon began to observe more and more.

Sirius Gryffindor was a man who was slightly taller than he was and seemed to like to use that height to his advantage.

"Come now," the gryphon king said when he had stopped on the last step. "We are more than just a king and a lord, we are men as well…..so let us speak as men would."

Ω

 _I certainly am glad that Kosrak is the city being besieged and not Qarth,_ Ginny thought as she flew on the back of Septimus towards the city. _Otherwise it would have taken a moon at least to travel there on foot._

It still annoyed her slightly that she hadn't been able to use a portkey to apparate with their forces to Kosrak. But transporting two thousand men was not something that was uncomplicated and she didn't want to risk the fact that some of the Unsullied would be harmed by her magic.

It was dangerous to transport too many people at once…..so they had had to travel the old fashioned way.

Fortunately the Unsullied were a group of former slaves who had often been marched until they dropped. They knew the meaning of marching with urgency.

Her father had insisted that she bring the captain of the Creed guard with her, a man by the name of Orius. The only thing they really knew about the Creed guard despite their history and their name was that their ancestors had served the ancient Valyrians and all of them had no family to speak of. They were the definition of a brotherhood.

He had a charisma that impressed even her and the Unsullied also took orders from him. He was one of the few people she had seen the face of and it was only briefly.

She glanced below her as Septimus flew through the air towards Kosrak and saw the man in question leading the force of two thousand Unsullied she had brought with her on his own grey charger.

As soon as they had left Mereen they had turned east. A few days ago they had passed by the city of Hesh and followed the river of Shahazadhan that had flowed by the city. It was a source of irrigation for the many cities bordering the Dothraki Sea and Ginny knew the dangers if the river were damned. Entire cities could starve or die of dehydration.

 _I should speak to Sirius about implementing some sort of protection along the rivers….perhaps in the form of runes,_ Ginny thought to herself. _The last thing we want is some greedy soul trying to force our hand and take advantage of the rivers to further their own wealth._

Before she had left, Sirius had sent a raven to the small council that he had established in Kosrak to make them aware of his daughter's coming. Azzik the merchant was traveling with them as well as his appearance would lend credibility to her visit.

The man Sirius trusted most on the small council of Kosrak, a man by the name of Areo would be the man to speak with first.

Ginny was the one to see Kosrak first given the height she had achieved with Septimus and she sent a shout down to Orius who signalled to the Unsullied that the city was near.

As they drew closer, Ginny could see that the walls of Kosrak were in a sad state of disrepair. She could see the state of the wooden gates leading into the city were swinging absently.

 _Has another raid just been had?_ Ginny thought worriedly.

She leaned forward and urged Septimus downward so that he might begin to make his descent. Using Legilimency, controlling the dragons had become rather easy. They were intelligent beasts and Septimus had become one of her most trusted companions since he had hatched and they had begun their conquest. There was a distinct connection between them that had been there ever since she had touched his scales when he had first hatched.

Septimus landed before the gates of the city with a crash and in the next instant, Ginny heard a shout from the city walls.

A second after that, the doors were opened and several members of the new city watch and a man with greying hair dressed in dark green robes hurried out. Ginny recognized him right away as one of the members of the small council her adoptive father had appointed. His name was Baelek.  
Upon seeing the Unsullied and Ginny, his face sagged and he gave a great sigh of relief.

"Your grace Princess Ginevra, thank the gods for your timely arrival!"

"The weather was with us Lord Baelek," Ginny said as she dismounted from Septimus. Several members of the city watch skittered back at the sight of the dragon but after a moment, gathered themselves and came forward.

Ginny turned to Septimus and the white dragon bent his head so that the two were eye level. She looked into those glittering amber orbs, conveying using Legilimency that he was to remain outside of the city until she came for him.

"What seems to the problem Lord Baelek?" she asked as the man led her into the city along with the Unsullied. "Has there been another raid since word was sent to us?"

"Two your grace," the man said grimly. "One only several hours before your arrival."

He gestured around the city as soon as they came in through the doors and Ginny saw what he meant.  
Kosrak was not a large city but it was a trading city that one might stop in on their way through the Dothraki Sea. It was also on the edge of the Red Waste and if one followed the river far enough along the edge of said waste, they would arrive in Vaes Tolloro en route to Qarth. The square of Kosrak was filled with trees that resembled palm fronds and there was a fountain the centre of the square that spewed water into a large pool. The buildings were made of sun toasted sand stone and reminded Ginny a bit of the houses she had seen in Egypt when she went with her family the summer before she started school at Hogwarts.

There was a large tower in the center of the main street of the city near the fountain and Ginny could see a bell hanging haphazardly by ropes from the top.

The buildings had many arches and Ginny could see that the center street of the city was used as a market square.

Or it had been before the raid began.

Carts of fruits and vegetables and textiles and bolts of cloth had been over turned. The wreckage of wagons could be seen in the city streets and the fountain which might have at one time been majestic was broken in half and spewing water everywhere.

"Gods above," Ginny murmured as she looked around. "How big was the horde that attacked the city?"

"Nearly two thousand riders your grace," Baelek said wringing his hands. "The biggest horde we have seen yet."

"And what has been done to see to the security of the city Lord Baelek?" Ginny asked as the two walked down the main street. All around them, it appeared that people were beginning to come out of hiding and staring to clean up as if this were simply a normal occurrence that happened every week for them.

 _Gods be good,_ Ginny thought to herself in dismay. _How long has this been going on?_

"I am afraid that not much has been done your grace," Baelek said wringing his hands regretfully. "We are a small trading city and have not the strength to repel them given the horde that has been plaguing us."

"Where is Lord Areo?" she asked.

"I will bring you to him your grace," Baelek said. "He has taken up residence in what is being called the city hall. Your royal father was the one who designated this building as the governing council of the city and where one could air out their disputes."

He pointed to the building in question and Ginny saw a two story building made of sand stone like all the rest of the buildings only one had several balconies and large windows as well as tall pillars supporting the roof on the front steps, just down the street ahead of her.

"Take me to him," she said. "I have a feeling we have much to discuss."

Ω

Out of all of the things that Sirius might have expected to hear, the fact that King Aerys had sent his cousin to propose marriage between Ginny and his son was the last thing that he had expected.

 _I am king of what is rapidly becoming the most powerful nation in the known world with seven dragons, twelve gryphons, magic at my fingertips and armies and navies at my command. He either fears the power I have or wants to feel me out. Perhaps it is a little of both._

At the moment, he and Lord Steffon were strolling calmly through the exotic gardens on the exterior of the pyramid. Queen Vellaena was showing Lady Cassana the elephants inside of the pyramid.

Lord Steffon was being very quiet and Sirius took this to mean that the man was on edge in this environment as he was a king that he didn't know how to predict.

"This prince Rhaegar lord Steffon," Sirius began slowly. "What is he like? Do you think he would be a good man for my daughter? And I wish to have every facet of the truth if you please."

Steffon looked at him warily. "As you wish your grace. Prince Rhaegar is a man that I have no concerns with. I do not know him personally but from what I have seen he is a level headed, just young man who would serve the realm well when he will become its king."

"And the madness of his father?" Sirius asked. "Does it run in him as well?"

When Steffon looked like he had eaten a lemon, Sirius sighed. "Come my lord, you are leagues away from Westeros and there exist no spies in this palace to speak of. I have questioned every single one of them using the magic I possess and there is nothing that is hidden from me in this place. Aerys Targaryen has no influence here."

Steffon sighed and looked as if he were slowly deflating. "Then you know that his name as the mad king is not without truth. I fear if he remains on the throne any longer he will destabilize the realm which might lead to civil war."

Sirius nodded, his hands folded behind his back. "And you feel that my daughter is the key that would end this possibility."  
Steffon nodded and he appeared to do so honestly. "I believe that the arrival of a new princess would calm the people's fears about the future. And from what I have heard of the reputation of your daughter, Princess Ginevra would be an ideal match for the prince."

Sirius felt a little amused. "And what have you heard of my daughter's reputation Lord Baratheon?"

Steffon paused for a moment. "Even in Westeros there have been stories that the royal informants have learned of her gentleness and generosity to the poor. I feel that is something that Westeros is sorely in need of."  
Sirius paused with his hand on the head of the singular gryphon he had taken from the throne room. The Creed guards he had bid remain in the pyramid, sending some to the queen and Lady Cassana. Lord Steffon had seemed wary of the creature, but it paid him no attention as the two men walked along.

"Let me tell you a few things about my daughter Lord Baratheon," Sirius began. "Right now, princess Ginevra is marching to Kosrak astride one of our dragons with two thousand Unsullied to deal with a Dothraki problem that has been plaguing the city for the last two moons. My daughter may be a princess and assist me with the running of our realm, but she is also a sorceress and a warrior all the same. I taught her how to wield a sword and she has conquered both Astapor and Yunkai in my name. She is the apple of my eye and my greatest prize. So you can understand that when the time comes, I wish to give her to a man who is worthy of her. Do you have daughters Lord Baratheon?"

"No your grace I am afraid that I do not. I have three sons, but no daughters."

Sirius chuckled. "Then you can understand my reticence to give her to a man whose father's mental instability is a thing that is talked about even here across the Narrow Sea."

 _This could not be going worse,_ Steffon thought to himself.

"I do understand your reticence your grace," he began carefully. "But you would be marrying her to the son, not the father. And the son is not the one that you should be concerned about."

"So you say," Sirius said. "But I do not know this man and his father's reputation precedes him. How can I be sure that this strain of madness that his father possesses will not manifest in him?"

Steffon decided to take a risk. "That is where I believe you will have to trust me your grace. I have spent time with prince Rhaegar in the past and I have not seen a strain of madness in him like his father possesses. He is a good man who will rule our realm justly and fairly. Many of the nobles have hung their hopes on him."

Sirius appeared thoughtful. "Why then has your king not tried to select a bride from among the nobles of King's Landing? Surely there are many who would be good for his son?"

Steffon sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "There are many women who would desire greatly to be Prince Rhaegar's queen your grace…..but King Aerys desires in that regard are rather….specific."

"Would you define that for me?" Sirius asked as the two men walked slowly past the lotus and palm trees. The smell of exotic flowers was heavy on the air and the atmosphere was one of peace. Steffon knew however he was going to have to sell things very hard if he wanted to return to Westeros with a bride for his king's son.

"King Aerys believes very much in legacy," he began carefully. "His Targaryen lineage is very important to him."

"That is certainly evident given the…..traditions that the Targaryens indulged in and passed on to their descendants," Sirius said sounding amused.

Steffon just looked uncomfortable. "But now that Queen Rhaella has given birth to no daughters, the king is carefully looking for a bride that will live up to his expectations."

"And my daughter is one such individual?" Sirius asked raising an eyebrow.

Steffon nodded. "You and your daughter and now your sons have the blood of old Valyria in your veins your grace. The Gryffindor legacy is one that is as old as the Targaryen legacy. I do not know much of Godric Gryffindor but I do know that he was an ancient Valyrian with exceptional magical power and the ability to tame such creatures as the one that walks beside you now. He was no mere man and it is my belief that King Aerys desires to unite the last two living Valyrian houses. Now that he has heard of your daughter and her lineage and her abilities, I do not think that any other young woman would be good enough for him."

Sirius nodded slowly. "And that is what worries me. If I choose to give my daughter in marriage to this Prince Rhaegar, I want to be assured that she will be safe and happy. With a man such as your king on the throne, I am not sure that such a thing is possible."

"Again, your grace," Steffon said trying for more boldness. "She would be marrying the son…..not the father."

The man did have a point, but Sirius was not one to trust so easily given in his first life he had been worked over by a man with a legacy. He had come from a house that had ties both to Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin and knew the burden that legacy could be on a man. He also knew all too well about incest. His own parents had been cousins and while that might not have been as appalling as wedding brother to sister, it was something that he would never have indulged in had he not died in the world he had grown up in.

Lord Steffon appeared to be an honest man who had come here in good faith at the urging of his king. Aerys might have been a mad man but he did know something about quality.

Steffon decided to try and press his advantage as it seemed that the king was listening to him. "House Targaryen is on the brink of collapse and it may perhaps be the belief of

King Aerys that your daughter will be a blessing to their house."

"My daughter is a blessing," Sirius said. "She has been a great blessing to me since the death of her mother and the rest of my family. House Gryffindor is being revived as well. My Queen Vellaena has ancient ties to one of the old Valyrian houses as well and has given me three sons to carry on my name. Hopefully there will be more if the gods are good."

"May I ask you something your grace?" Steffon asked, feeling bolder at how well the conversation had gone.

Sirius observed the man calmly. "Certainly."

"You have every advantage in this place," Steffon began. "But your daughter is of marriageable age and yet she has not as of yet been married. May I inquire as to why that is?"

Sirius regarded the man carefully for a moment. "In my belief there is no man in this country that is good enough for her. She is a prize. I do not know that any man in Essos will be able to be the person that she would both need and want."

Steffon saw an opening and pounced. "Then perhaps the answer to this dilemma does not exist in Essos your grace. Prince Rhaegar may be the solution."

The gryphon king said nothing and Steffon decided that he had pressed his advantage enough for one day.

Sirius seemed to think it too. "I will consider your council Lord Steffon. However, my daughter's opinion in this matter is of paramount importance. I leave the decision of whether or not she marries up to her and at the moment she is not in Mereen at all. Are you in a hurry to return to Westeros?"

Steffon regarded the king cautiously for a moment. "No your grace. My wife and I were eager to see Mereen but we have been given an extended period of time to remain here."

Sirius nodded sharply. "Good, than you may remain for the next few weeks until my daughter returns from Kosrak. After that I will put the question to her and abide by whatever she decides. For the moment, one of the servants will show you to your chambers. I'm sure after your long journey you are in need of a rest."

"Thank you your grace."

Sirius turned away back into the gardens.

He needed to think.

Ω

"It is the blessing of the gods that you arrived when you did your grace," Lord Areo said looking relieved at the red head. "We are at our wit's end."

The princess and the head of the small council and magister in Kosrak were sitting in the city hall, goblets of wine in their hands. Ginny had been hesitant to drink this early in the day when there was work to be done and she needed a clear mind but it was obvious that Lord Areo was in need of some sort of steadying influence so she had taken a few sips from her goblet but nothing more.

"So I am hearing," she said grimly. "The merchant Azzik has told myself and my father that this has been occurring for the last two moons. Why did you not send for assistance earlier?"

To his credit the magister looked rather sheepish. "We believed it to be a coincidence your grace. We exist between the Dothraki Sea and the Red Waste, we believed the horde that raided the city was looking for supplies. They slew the men standing guard at the gates and beat down the doors. We are not as strong as the rest of the cities in Essos and we suffered for it."

"A raid has occurred no less than three hours ago," Ginny mused. "There must be something in this place that keeps drawing them here otherwise they would have moved on at this point. Have they taken any of the women or children?"

Areo was about to respond when all of a sudden, a great wailing reached Ginny's ears, and sent the red head and the magister to the window of the city hall looking out.

Down in the square a large crowd had gathered and Ginny could see several women weeping together and clinging to each other.

The outcry was so great that it seemed to be coming from all corners of the city.

"What is the commotion?" Ginny demanded.

Areo looked just as confused as she felt. "I know not your grace," he said. "Shall we go down and see for ourselves?"

When the magister and the princess had gone down from the city hall and forced their way gently through the crowd to see what was the matter, she spotted a woman weeping and a man who was obviously her husband holding on to her.

It didn't appear to be only her for there were several couples standing around in which the women were weeping and it seemed as if other members of the community were trying to comfort them.

"What seems to be the problem?" Ginny called out in a gentle voice, and when the many couples looked up most of them still seemed to have their wits about them enough to know that they were faced with Sirius Gryffindor's daughter.

The men instantly dropped to their knees. "Forgive us your grace, we did not see you."

"Please get up, now is not the time for political niceties," Ginny said gently. "Now will someone please explain to me what the matter is?"

One of the men who seemed to be in control of himself finally got to his feet and looked her in the eye. He was a strong man, who it seemed made his living from the labour of his hands.

"What is your name?" Ginny asked him gently.

"Fyatte, your grace," the man replied. "My wife's name is Anya and in the raid, three of our children were taken by the Dothraki."

Ginny blinked in horror before muttering out several curses in Valyrian. She whirled on Magister Areo who was looking pale at what had happened. "Why did you not speak of this earlier?"

He held up his hands. "This is news to me as well your grace. I was not informed of this new development."

Ginny sighed and turned back to the woman Anya who was trying without success to hold back her tears.

"What are your children's names?" she asked.

Anya sniffed and brushed the dust from her clothes as she got to her feet helped by Fyatte. "Their names are Alecke, Kala, and Trysan."

Ginny nodded before turning to look around at the gathered crowd. "Who else has children here that have gone missing?"

A number of hands went up and Ginny turned to the magister standing behind her. "Areo if you would please take down the names of all those children who have been gone missing and suspected of being abducted by the Dothraki. Once the list is compiled, please give it to me."

The man nodded. "Of course your grace. But may I ask why?"

Ginny didn't answer him right away and instead turned to the captain of the Creed guard. "Orius please have Gavreen, Visrael, Sion and the rest of the Creed guard along with the Unsullied secure the city, once this complete, you are with me."

"Yes your grace," the tall captain of the guard said and then strode off to see to the soldiers they had brought with them.

"Here is the list your grace," Areo said before placing a piece of parchment in her hand.

"Thank you," Ginny said. "Now when the Dothraki left the city, which direction were they heading in?"

"Northeast your grace," was the answer. "It appeared they were riding for Vaes Dothrak."

 _Not for long they won't be._

Magister Areo was giving her a searching look. "Your grace? May I ask what you intend to do?"

Ginny gave the aging man a severe look. "I have one more task to complete before we rebuild this city Magister. I intend to return these children to their parents. I know what it is like to be without people you love and that is not a feeling I wish to see replicated in children no older than one and ten."

"You are going to go after them?" Areo asked as if she had taken leave of her senses.

"Yes magister," Ginny said grimly. "My Creed guard and the Unsullied will secure the city. I will be back by nightfall."

Ω

 **It seems that my muse just won't quit lately! I wanted to put in Ginny's encounter with the Dothraki in this chapter, but seeing as how its around twenty three pages long already I figured I would save it for next time. In the next chapter, Ginny deals with the Dothraki, secures Kosrak and then returns to Mereen to face a very important decision. Don't forget to review!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Later that evening as the sun was falling over Mereen, the candles were being lit and the activity in the streets was ceasing for the day, King Sirius Gryffindor could be found pacing the floor in his chambers.

The chambers he shared with Vellaena were in the apex of the pyramid and were surrounded by beautiful gardens and pools. When one reached the apex of the pyramid, they entered a courtyard that was open to the sunlight from a narrow window at the top of the pyramid high above them. This light shone down into a courtyard where there were beautiful pools and shrubs that filled the air with a heady sweet scent, perfect for relaxation.

Unfortunately, Sirius was anything but relaxed at this point.

He felt like he had been pacing for the past several hours since he had heard of Lord Steffon's proposal. Part of him was glad that Ginny hadn't been here to hear it at the time for he had no idea what she would think. The other part of him wished she was here so he might have some idea of what to think.

He had wanted to refuse the proposal right away but he knew deep down that that was just his parental instincts coming out. Ginny had become his daughter in every way in the last two years and even though he hadn't sired her, she had been everything he ever wanted in a daughter. The idea of letting her go to marry someone when she was only barely eighteen made him a little nervous.

But on the other hand, the idea of refusing a royal proposal of marriage right off the bat was something that politically was not a good idea. As much as he might be more powerful than Westeros, Sirius also didn't want to start a war. He was tired of wars and conflicts. Because of their magic and the dragons, the once Free Cities had surrendered to him without much of a fight, but conquest was not something he was eager to continue.

This marriage proposal was something that would make Ginny a queen, something that was not easily overlooked. He wanted his adoptive daughter to have everything she ever wanted and she certainly deserved it after losing her entire family in Voldemort's war. She had also lost Harry and Hermione and several of her school friends which had almost as much of a wound to her as losing her family had.

Sirius wanted Ginny happy always and he had seen a distinct change in her temperament in the last two years. The sadness in her beautiful blue eyes was much less evident and she smiled a lot more as well. He knew that being able to help people, both in Mereen and the other cities that they ruled had been good for her. She had been able to throw herself into something that allowed her to forget the past.

But to force her into marriage was never something that he wanted to do given how he had grown up. He didn't care of Ginny ever married and she was in a position where she didn't need to after all. There was nothing that could be gained from marrying her to one of the noble's son's in Mereen.

As far as Sirius was concerned, those power sucking leeches would never be worthy of Ginny. She was a gem and she deserved to be loved by someone who saw that.

But deep in his mind, he couldn't deny that the possibility of an alliance with Westeros was interesting. Especially the visions and dreams Ginny had had in the two years since she entered the House of the Undying.

Sirius didn't really know what to make of them as he didn't believed in the prophetic quality of dreams. But the reappearance of the other was something that made him nervous.

 _If those creatures ever do return, the entire world will need to stand together in order to battle them,_ he thought to himself.

But that still didn't solve his problem of the here and now.

Vellaena who was watching him pace from their bed where she was already curled up sat up and looked at him. "My love come to bed. You have been wearing a hole in the floor for the past hour trying to make a decision. You should sleep."

Sirius gave her a rather fond smile. "I'm afraid my mind is too full for that yet darling."

"Are you still agonizing over this proposal from Lord Steffon?" Vellaena asked. "You need not worry. This type of decision is something that you told me a year ago you would leave entirely up to Ginny. So why are you worrying about it?"

"Because we have never received a proposal of the magnitude before. Were we to say yes to this engagement, it would make our daughter a queen one day."

"Do you even know if that is something that Ginny wants?" Vellaena asked. "Could it be that she just wishes to marry not for political gain at all?"

Sirius pierced her with a look. "You know I would never force Ginevra into an unwanted marriage, I don't care how powerful the man who is proposing it is."

"You certainly seem to be doing so now."

Sirius whirled on her. "I am not. I am merely questioning the timing. Lord Steffon explained to me that it is the Gryffindor bloodline that King Aerys is interested in. But the dragon is a mad man. I am not sure I would wish to leave our daughter in a place that is as poisonous as King's Landing."

"Didn't you just say that something of this magnitude would be left up to Ginny?" Vellaena pointed out. "She is an intelligent young woman. Once she returns from Kosrak, put the question to her and let her decide. There is not a doubt in my mind that she will make the right decision for her, whether that is to stay or go."

Sirius sighed and seemed to deflate. "And what if her choice is to leave?"

Vellaena looked at him closely and a moment later her face seemed to clear in understanding. "Is that what all this has been about? My love we cannot keep her with us forever.

Ginny deserves to be happy and if marrying this prince and becoming queen of a nation across the sea is what will bring her happiness than what right do we have to stop her?"

"Suppose this will bring her pain?" Sirius countered. "Vellaena Aerys Targaryen is a mad man who burns those who serve him with wild fire and watches laughing as they die. He had a man's tongue removed for saying the wrong thing and he thinks he is above reproach because he is a king."

"And now you have come along to remind him that there is one more powerful than he," Vellaena said gently. "My love, you and Ginevra are some of the most powerful people that I know. You command legions of men and scores of ships and these assets are only growing. Five of our dragons have yet to hatch and eight of our gryphons are still in the egg. The dragons have returned and a good deal of the once Free Cities have fallen to you and House Gryffindor. I have no doubt that if Aerys Targaryen harms in our daughter in any way that she will be able to protect herself and if not, barring the worst, you will bring the full wrath of the name of Gryffindor down upon the heads of Westeros. The man may be a mad man but if he realizes your power by sending his own cousin to you with a marriage proposal than it is my belief that he will not cross you."

Sirius sighed and ran a hand through his dark curls. "That may be so."

"And Ginny may yet say no to this proposal," Vellaena pointed out. "She has not yet said yes to any proposal that has come forward in the last few months."

"But a proposal of this magnitude has not come forth before," Sirius replied. "I had never worried about her accepting one before because she knew we had nothing to gain from the marriages that were proposed. Those magisters sons always had more to gain by uniting with House Gryffindor than we stood to gain from them."

"Are you more worried about the politics of this marriage?" Vellaena asked. "Or the fact that Ginny may put herself in danger by becoming the good daughter of a king who is known to be mad?"

Sirius gave a bitter laugh. "A little of both I suppose."

Vellaena got out of bed and came towards him, taking his face in her hands and kissing him softly on the mouth. "Well then don't my love. We have more power here in Essos than we could ever need. Our children are thriving intelligent beings all of whom possess magic and we have seven dragons and twelve gryphons at our command. Now come to bed. The Targaryen may be mad but I do not think that he has lost all logic to the point that he forgets what you will do to him if he harms our daughter."

Ω

It took Ginny and Orius several hours to catch up to the horde of the Dothraki who were now racing across the Dothraki Sea with as much haste as she had ever seen.

The sun was beginning to go down across the Dothraki Sea and the oppressive heat from the day was beginning to wane. Pink and blue clouds were emerging to cover the sun and Ginny knew that soon they would be without light.

 _We need to find those blood riders….and soon._

As soon as she and the captain of the Creed guard had taken off from Kosrak, she had disillusioned the dragon and the two riders, preferring to mount a sneak attack as opposed to a show of strength.

Ginny despised those who took advantage of the weak and the sword of Gryffindor that was hanging from her waist, the smaller one of course, seemed to burn as if it were itching to be used.

"What do you intend to do once we find these barbarians your grace?" Orius asked. He was sitting behind her on Septimus and seemed no more intimidated of the dragon than any of the other Creed guard.

That was something else that Ginny found rather fascinating. None of her and Sirius's personal guards seemed to find the dragons frightening. They had a great respect for the beasts, but when one flew over the city of Mereen or landed on the top of the great pyramid, they didn't flinch like some of the city folk still seemed to do.

Septimus seemed to be the dragon who was the most comfortable with the Creed captain of the guard and had let Orius touch his head on occasion.

"The element of surprise is on our side Orius," Ginny explained quietly as they flew. "All we need to do is catch up to them and remain disillusioned while we do it. Once we complete this task, we need to hide Septimus and sneak into the camp. Once we have located where the children are located, I will remove the cover from myself and we will exit the camp with them."

"Suppose they do not stop for the night your grace?" the captain asked.

"They will," Ginny replied confidently. "They have no lights and I have never seen a Dothraki horde march through the night. The Dothraki live by way of conquest Orius, if they were to see another khalasar and they bear the stronger number, the first group will waste no time in killing the khal of the second so that their blood riders will now belong to them. They bear no allegiance to their own kind and would as soon as kill them on sight as see them. This is why they will not risk traveling at night."

"They will make for Vaes Dothrak your grace?"

"Yes. A group of blood riders this size would not risk travelling slowly so it is my belief that the entire khalasar was left at Vaes Dothrak while they made for the nearest city."

"What do you suppose was their intention of abducting children your grace?"

Ginny bit the edge of her lip. She had considered several possibilities to that question since they had left Kosrak and none of them were good.

"The primary reason that I can think of is to bring about the return of the slave trade," she said tightly. "Since my father and I abolished it all through Essos several months ago, the Dothraki way of life has been threatened. It seems they wish for a return to the old ways and with it, they intend to sell the children and women they took to other khals or cities."

"A bold move," Orius muttered.

"Indeed."

 _But I don't intend to let any child abductors or rapists roam loose in my father's kingdom. Their women and children will be offered a chance to assimilate into any of the cities that we rule. The men who do not comply with the new regime…..well let's just say that flying for days has given Septimus quite an appetite._

Ginny remembered all too well what it was like to be on the receiving end of torture and humiliation when she had gone through that horrible year with the Carrows. She had been hit with a good deal of Cruciatus curses but no more than that as she was a pureblood and her blood it would be a waste to spill. She had had to endure the taunting and the humiliation from those two good for nothing fools when she had fired back her own insults and refused to be cowed by them.

Ginny knew all too well what it was like to be a hostage in a place that was supposed to be her home away from home.

"The Dothraki have been allowed to roam free across this land for far too long," she muttered. "They will either join the new world that my father and I have created, or they can die in their old one."

She realized this was rather ruthless for her seeing as how she had spent the last two years healing emotionally from the war, but now that she had lived through Riddle and been through a war in which only the strong survived, Ginny was now more convinced than ever that the Dothraki needed to be brought to heel. They were a people that existed on strength and if she showed them that she possessed more of it than their khals, perhaps they would turn towards her and her father and become a part of the empire she and Sirius had built.

She would be kind to their women and children but their men who had made a career of pillaging, killing and raping had to be stopped.

 _It's time,_ she thought. _It's time for a new era to be ushered in._

All of a sudden, Septimus snorted and Ginny realized right away that her dragon had seen something.

Her connection with Septimus was still something she was learning about. When she used Legilimency to look into his mind, all he was able to do to communicate was through a series of images. None the less it was very helpful when he returned from flying over Gryphon Bay and she searched his mind to see what he had seen.

It helped when letting them know who was coming into the harbor and what they might be carrying. Trade from Mereen, to Volantis, Braavos and Tyrosh was booming and it gave Ginny and Sirius a bit of an edge to know what was coming before it officially dropped anchor.

Ginny squinted and looked ahead to see the familiar grey, brown and green tents and the fires that the Dothraki had lit. They had obviously decided that they would go no further at night without lights and this was where they would stop.

There was a large crowd of them and no women and children in sight which explained why they were able to move so fast.

"It seems that the fools didn't think there would be any retaliation for their actions," Orius muttered in a whisper from behind her.

"And why would they think that?" Ginny asked with a sarcastic smile. "I don't really like to alert my enemies to my presence and what would do that more than with two thousand Unsullied and a monstrous white dragon gleaming in the sunlight?"

Ginny could feel Orius chuckle behind her.

The smoke fires from the Dothraki blazes could clearly be seen now and Ginny was glad she had disillusioned them as a dragon the size of Septimus could be seen for miles.

She felt Orius tap her shoulder. "There appears to be a rather large bank of sand to your left your grace. Perhaps we should leave Septimus there until we have need of him."

Ginny looked to the left and saw what the captain was indicating and nodded. "An excellent idea."

The dragon seemed to have noticed where she was referring as well and flew, still at a distance from the horde of blood riders to the bank that they had all seen. It wouldn't have done for the pursuers to come too close as though they were disillusioned the breaths of wind made by Septimus's wings might still have been felt the closer he got to the ground.

Once they were behind the bank, Ginny and Orius slid off of Septimus and Ginny turned to the dragon. "Thank you my friend. If you would remain here until I call for you that would be very much appreciated."

The dragon blew a breath of wind in her face and Ginny smiled absently as she and Orius climbed to the top of the bank to look down on their quarry and see just what it was they were dealing with.

The tents that the Dothraki blood riders had set up were not large, belaying the fact that they were no more than a hunting party. The fire they had lit in the center of their makeshift camp was rather large though and for a moment Ginny had wondered why they had done so.

After a second however, she realized because it was they thought they were safe. They didn't expect any sort of retaliation for what had happened in Kosrak and she doubted that they believed word had even been sent to the capital regarding possible assistance.

 _The fools…..they are berserkers, nothing more._

Orius then tapped her arm, getting her attention. "Your grace, it seems that the barbarians have tied up the children together and to that post on the outskirts of the camp.

They are being guarded by what appears to be twelve Dothraki screamers."

 _Fantastic,_ Ginny thought sarcastically. _This is going to have to be a stealth mission first as opposed to running in like a berserker._

"This will require a little bit of magic," she thought. The _multiplio_ curse she had not used since she had been in her first life and she didn't intend to use it now as it would tire her out and that was the last thing that she needed.

Instead she decided to use the curse that Harry had shown her before he had left with Hermione and Ron on the mission Dumbledore had sent him on.

 _"Sectumsempra,"_ she hissed.

A thin jet of red light shot from her hand and whizzed over the sand, connecting with the neck of the lead Dothraki screamer. Instantly his head sliced from his shoulders and landed in the sand with a wet thud as blood poured from his exposed neck like it was a fountain that had had the top broken off.

There was a scream from the children who were still awake and a shout from the rest of the camp who rushed forward onto the scene.

"What do you intend to do now your grace?" Orius asked.

 _A good question,_ Ginny thought to herself.

She didn't want to risk revealing Septimus and burning the Dothraki yet as she didn't put it past them to use the children as shields or bargain tools.

"We need to separate them from the rest of the children," she whispered. "Or else they may force my hand and that is not something I wish to do if I do not have to. Casualties are not an option here Orius. Blood being spilt is part of a normal battle but I don't want one hair on the head of any of those children harmed."

"Yes your grace. May I suggest something then?"

"Of course."

"Is there a shield charm you may cast about the children?" Orius asked.

Ginny frowned as she watched the Dothraki looking around as if they had seen ghosts and yelling at one another. "There is."

"Then I suggest you cast it about the children. Immobilize as many of the Dothraki as you can then, whether by magic or by sword and I will take care of the rest."

"I don't want to kill them all just yet," Ginny said, surprising her captain.

"I pray your grace, why not?"

"Because I do not believe that that was simply a mission to pillage and plunder. The Dothraki have been targeting Kosrak yet, but why?"

Orius's brow furrowed. "Perhaps because it is the most escapable route which put them into the Dothraki Sea and then to Vaes Dothrak not long after."

"But Vaes Dothrak is no great defensible position," Ginny pointed out. "They may have had a chance of doing so when the Essosi Empire was once the Free Cities, but now it would be much harder to carry out. My point is that something has to be gained from all of this. I hope it is not what I think it is, but I intend to know before this night is out."

With that, she raised herself a little higher on the sand bank and cast the shield charm which shot through the air and formed a dome of iridescent red netting over the top of the children who had ceased their screaming at the death that took place in front of them and were looking up in wonder at the red netting over their heads.

At this little bit of magic, one man who was bare from the waist up with his long black hair hanging down his back and in knots turned around and screamed in his own native tongue: **"WHO GOES THERE?!"**  
If she was a different person, Ginny might have flinched at his tone, but she knew she had her magic and Septimus to protect her, so her nerves remained steady.

"I would suggest an attack now your grace," the captain whispered.

"I'm ready whenever you are Orius," Ginny said smirking.

And with that, they both jumped out from behind the dune, and fell on their enemies, with Septimus hidden behind them.

Ω

After having been involved in numerous battles over the last two years since she and Sirius had begun their conquest of the Free Cities, Ginny would say that she knew how to handle a sword well.

She was nowhere near as talented as her adoptive father who had been doing this for a decade however and being a part of the Second Sons for years before he had escaped had helped him enormously with a blade.

He had taught her as much as he could, but there was only so much she could learn in the time they had been given. Fortunately, something Ginny had learned about the sword of Gryffindor, at least the smaller one that had come from her world and which she had found sitting inside the sorting hat in her chambers in Mereen, was that it was intended to be used in fighting.

So when she and Orius were running towards the Dothraki, and she drove her sword forward like she was wordlessly yelling charge, a curious thing happened.

Ginny had thought the word to the spell _Bombarda Maxima,_ in her mind but she hadn't actually said it aloud.

As it turned out, she did not have to.

As soon as the thought entered her mind, there was an explosion and the horde of Dothraki that had turned to them were blown into the air by the explosion which was the result of a spell she had not uttered.

Using the distraction to her advantage, Ginny dove right in among the chaos and began hacking away. Most of the Dothraki had landed flat on their backs from the force of the spell and were struggling to rise.

It was times like this when Ginny was glad the Creed were on her side as watching Orius fight was something akin to watching a cobra strike. His strikes were so fast, she almost couldn't see them. He brought his arm in and out of the Dothraki with so much speed, it was almost as if he were swatting them with his hand. The only indication that she had that he was scoring hits was the blood on his twin blades.

She wasn't able to pay too much attention to him though as the Dothraki were beginning to recover and some of the berserkers had their wits about them faster than others.

The ones she couldn't reach with her sword, Ginny froze with magic.

The red head found she was getting rather good at using magic and practical skill interchangeably in a fight.

She wasn't as skillful as her father with a blade or as talented but if there was one thing she did have it was good reflexes. She had played Chaser on the Gryffindor team after all and she knew how to get to where she wanted to go.

Granted, killing people and passing the Quaffle through a hoop were two completely different things, but there were some fundamental underlying principles that were similar

A curved blade came right at her head and with a blistering speed she hadn't used since she was playing Quidditch, Ginny ducked and swung her sword in a low arc, cutting the legs of the Dothraki screamer out from under him.

She had just enough time to raise her fingers to her lips after that and whistle long and sharp which was the signal for Septimus.

With a deafening roar and the thundering of the ground to announce his arrival, the white dragon stormed out from behind the sand bank after Ginny quickly released the spells of concealment.

The red head just managed to turn and lock eyes with Orius as Septimus opened his jaws and the two of them dove for the ground as Septimus bathed the Dothraki screamers in a torrent of white flames.

That was another thing that Ginny found interesting. As the dragons had grown and hatched over the last two years. Each one breathed fire that was akin to the color of the scales that they were armored in.

She could barely see through the pearl blaze that Septimus unleashed from his mouth and just like that, it was all over.

There was a torrent of screaming, but when she raised her head again, Ginny could see that a good two thirds of the blood riders had been bathed in a flood of flames and the rest were attempting to run for their horses which were screaming in panic at the sight of Septimus.

The ones the dragon didn't get on the first try he bathed on the second until there were only a handful left standing as the horses had broken free and galloped off into the night. Ginny wasn't sure, but she felt certain one or two had gotten away and she felt rage for what those painted bastards had tried to do.

Of the ones that remained, she quickly immobilized and stalked toward them, feeling the full wrath of House Gryffindor in her veins.  
There were around a dozen who had been frozen by the use of Ginny's spell and were standing stalk still and the red head could read the panic on their faces as they tried to move their limbs without success.

 _Not very nice to be on the receiving end of one of those now is it?_

When the red head got to her feet, she found Orius by her side once more. "Captain, please free the children and ensure that none of them were harmed in the onslaught."

She handed him the list she had brought with her which had been obtained by Magister Areo. "Also, please have them identify themselves by calling names. I want to make sure that every child is here."

"Yes your grace."

In the meantime, Ginny stalked toward the Dothraki who had not been burned to a crisp as a result of Septimus's fiery onslaught and could read the panic in their eyes.

She didn't know if it registered in their minds who she was, but one thing was glaringly clear; she intended to make them pay.

"And now gentlemen," she said calmly in slow Dothraki the moment she was near enough to them. "It is time for me to hear what you have to say. What do you think you were doing taking nearly two dozen children into the desert with Vaes Dothrak as your destination?"

"Crazy bitch," one of the Dothraki muttered tightly against the binding charm.

Ginny smiled sweetly at him before she raised her hand and slashed it through the air, using the same cutting spell Harry had taught her earlier.

Instantly the man who had spoken had his head cut from his shoulders and it tipped off from the top of the body onto the sand while his neck pumped out blood like it were a fountain.

Several of the Dothraki yelled out curses in their native tongue and several others looked as if their eyes were about to roll back in their heads. Some of them might have passed out if the binding spell wasn't there to hold them up.

"Now," Ginny said, turning her attention to the rest of them who were now staring at her with fear and uncertainty in their eyes. "Shall we continue? I have been told that the most paramount quality valued by the Dothraki are their strength. Therefore there must be one of you who is…or was rather…..the leader of this present company. If you were strong enough to be chosen to lead this group, then you would not have been killed in the onslaught that was just unleashed. I would ask that that person identify themselves by nodding their head, you will find that your necks are still able to move. That is the only part of you that I have left free."

She looked around the expanse of sand and raised an eyebrow when no one made a move to answer her question.

"Are all of you shy now?" she asked, casting her eyes towards the pole at the end of the camp. Orius had succeeded in freeing all of the children and was now leading them toward a calm Septimus. Several of the children balked at the sight of the dragon as they had seen what it could do, but Orius must have said something calming for after a moment's hesitation, they slowly began to follow him.

"You certainly didn't seem coy earlier," Ginny asked. "Very well then, I will appeal to your sense of survival before I completely lose my patience. Whoever identifies the one who led this assault will go free."

There was a long moment of silence and Ginny couldn't help but be rather impressed when the Dothraki stared stonily ahead, stubbornly refusing to open their mouths.

 _It would seem that loyalty does mean something to them,_ she thought wryly. _However in this case, it is a loyalty of the worst kind._

She gave them another minute but when it became obvious that they had no intention of giving her what she wanted, Ginny realized she was going to have to use her magic.

"Very well then," she said.

Slowly, she began to walk amongst the tall warriors, the smallest of whom was half a head taller than she was. Ginny was five feet eight inches and somewhat willowy but she would have been very intimidated walking through these men had she not been who she was with the gifts she had.

Now though, she only felt disgust. Gods knew what these men would have done with these children if they made it back to Vaes Dothrak.

"I suppose I will have to learn for myself," she hissed and immediately placed her fingers on the temples of the man closest to her, whispering _Legilimens._

Immediately the man stiffened up. Ginny drove through his memories with the force of a sword driving into flesh, searching for the answer she needed.

She didn't need to look into everyone's mind as she knew all these men would be thinking about would be who had orchestrated the raid because she had asked the question.

It didn't take her long to find the information she needed.

Ginny slowly withdrew from the man's mind who was now trembling as if she were pulling a knife out of a wound.

She had gotten the name of the man and his description from the memories seized from the first khal.

Ginny took her time looking around, deciding to let her quarry sweat for a moment before she revealed who it was that she was looking for.

Finally, she spotted the man.

"Khal Barbo," she said sweetly and even though the man's head didn't move, she saw his black eyes flash towards her. She couldn't read the look in them, but it didn't really matter.

She had her man.

The man in question stood nearly a head taller than the rest of the warriors and his face and chest were painted in black ichor to create some rather fearsome designs. His long hair hung down his back almost to his waist.

Ginny remembered Sirius telling her that when the Dothraki were defeated in combat, they cut off their braids so the entire world would see their shame.

But judging from the looks of Barbo, it was rather obvious that he hadn't been defeated in a very long time.

She strolled over to him and looked into his eyes as he stared down at her. There didn't seem to be any fear in him and his eyes were calm and resigned. Ginny showed no expression either but it wasn't necessary.

 _I suppose it does him a scant bit of credit that he shows no fear even when he is about to die,_ Ginny thought absently to herself.

She glanced away from the khal to see that all of the children had now mounted the dragon and Orius was sitting by Septimus's foreleg waiting for her to conclude her business.

He understood that her negotiation skills were far better for getting to the truth than his would be as he didn't possess magic.

The red head turned back to Barbo. He was still watching her with those dark eyes but a rather eerie hungry look had entered them. Although she didn't know if said look was for her or something else altogether.

"I suppose I should ask my questions then," Ginny said quietly, never breaking contact with his eyes.

Quick as a whip, she brought her hands up and placed them on either side of his temple, muttering _Legilimens._

 _Instantly she was surrounded by a desert very much like the one they were standing in. It was night time, but she was completely alone. There were no tents, no horses, no fires burning and certainly no Dothraki.  
_

 _The moon was shining like a silver dollar that had been dipped in water but that was all Ginny was able to distinguish.  
_

 _All of a sudden, there came the sound like that of thundering hooves. When she looked up, she saw a herd of stallions galloping towards her.  
_

 _Instinctively, she knew that they weren't going to hurt her and by looking at them, she would see what she needed to see.  
_

 _As the horses galloped fast, Ginny could tell that they were completely translucent and there were images flashing in the length of their bodies.  
_

 _Upon staring at them closely, she was able to ascertain the figure of khal Barbo standing in the courtyard of a very fine house. He was standing near a fountain at the edge of a flight of stairs that looked up to the second level of what was very obviously a magister's house.  
_

 _She frowned as she watched the other images go by her and was able to ascertain with a gasp that the man suddenly coming down the stairs to meet Barbo was not just any wealthy man.  
_

That is magister Ilio, _she thought to herself with stark realization and shock._ He is responsible for the city of Morosh. They refused to bow the knee to myself and Sirius. _  
_

 _But why on earth would the Dothraki be meeting him?  
_

 _She looked at the next image in the stallion as it flew by her and blinked again when she saw the two men conversing.  
_

 _Ginny didn't expect Barbo to know the common tongue so they were conversing in Dothraki with the help of a translater.  
_

 _They were speaking so fast that Ginny didn't hear around forty percent of the conversation as it was going by her in images and she had to process each image with each message as it came at her.  
_

 _But what she did hear was more than enough.  
_

 _It seemed that the Dothraki were unhappy with the greater restrictions placed upon them since the Free Cities had been conquered and Magister Ilio was unhappy with the fact that as a result of his lack of submission to the new empire that they were required to pay a slightly heavier tax. Sirius didn't want anyone getting ideas about rebellion so he had decided that those who would not join his new empire would be given a heavier tax so they wouldn't get any ideas about revolting. He couldn't simply allow certain cities to get away with remaining independent but he had decided to be benevolent because slaves hadn't been something Morosh used for income.  
_

 _Though Morosh didn't really rely on slaves in the past for their income as it was a port city, a portion of what they made in trade was now being used to essentially ensure that they didn't have to join Sirius's empire, something which some of the citizens weren't happy about. Morosh had been plagued by pirates in the last five years and people were desperate for protection that their magister couldn't give them. Ilio was a proud man though who didn't want to have to bow to some Valyrian king and so, he began cut work from around the city. People began receiving fewer wages which led to rioting in the streets and the magister became desperate to solve their economic problem.  
_

 _And so he had decided to quietly invest in the slave trade, thinking that if a few Dothraki raids were launched a few times a year, it would pass beneath the new king's notice._

 _They might get away with setting up some sort of black market for the future along with a nest egg should things go south.  
_

 _Ginny was further horrified to see that though Morosh hadn't relied on slaves in the past, the magister did, especially young girls and boys that he used for horrific and appalling purposes.  
_

 _Barbo and Ilio had come to an agreement about which cities to hit and when and how many would be taken. Barbo would be allowed a portion of the slaves they had taken as right of conquest and Ginny knew what happened to young women who became a khal or even a blood rider's wife.  
_

 _But Barbo had gotten greedy and one of the merchants he had underestimated of going straight to Mereen for help.  
_

 _In essence, because of his lewd tastes, Ilio had kept Morosh from joining the Essosi Empire and thus sealing his and Barbo's own fate._

Ginny slowly withdrew from the khal's mind, stunned by what she had learned and narrowed her vivid blue eyes up at the man who was still staring down at her with a blank look on his face. Unlike before though, his eyes appeared slightly glazed.

"You sick bastard," she hissed.

And then without even thinking, she swung her sword with all of her might, taking Barbo's head clean from his shoulders in one fell swoop.

The force of the swing was so strong that it was almost as if the sword was a bat and the head the baseball for it sailed several feet before hitting the sand and rolling to a stop.

The red head waited a moment before she walked slowly over to the fallen head, knelt down and sliced off his braids from the nape of Barbo's severed neck all the way down to the hair that had hung to his waist.

Once this grisly task was complete she threw the long braid back into the center of the group of remaining warriors. "A token to return to Vaes Dothrak. You may tell the rest of your people that my father and I are coming for all of you. And you will feel the full wrath of House Gryffindor upon your heads."

Ginny slowly walked back through the stunned Dothraki and to Septimus, the children and Orius who was waiting for her with a grim face.

"Is everyone accounted for?" she asked.

He gave her a pointed look and nodded.

"Good."

The moment the both of them were atop the dragon, Ginny released the spell on the Dothraki and guided Septimus into the air.

"The rest of you may keep your lives…..for the moment. But seeing as how you no longer have horses, you will need to walk back to Vaes Dothrak. For those of you who do make the journey…..be sure to tell everyone there what I said."

And with that, she removed the spell binding them in place. The sudden change in motion had most of the warriors sprawling to one side.

Ginny never once looked back as she, Orius, the children from Kosrak and Septimus rose into the air and disappeared into the night.

Ω

Steffon was finding it rather hard to sleep.

Perhaps it was because he was not in his own bed or the situation he was in was rather precarious, but slumber was evading him.

After the king had left him in the gardens, he had been shown back to his chambers by Gulian which were just as magnificent as those in the Red Keep if not more. But then the great pyramid had been erected for thousands of years and the keep in King's Landing had only been around for three centuries.

It looked out over the city and had a spectacular view of the bay and the setting sun as its rays touched the water.

The room was spacious with marble floors and a large fire place, not that they needed it, along with a rather large comfortable looking bed. The stones in the room were a pale blue which lit the chamber with a warm light. There was a claw foot tub in the corner that could be used for bathing which was something Cassana had immediately indulged in to rid the dust and dirt of travel from her.

The whole atmosphere of Mereen was one of peace and tranquility and Steffon felt infinitely less tense since he had arrived here. As did Cassana it seemed for she had no trouble falling asleep.

He meanwhile was worried about the conversation he had had with the king that day. Most father's would be making such decisions like marriage for their daughter's and drawing up betrothal contracts for them.

Sirius Gryffindor however seemed to be in the habit of doing no such thing. It was rather unheard of that he was leaving a decision such as his daughter's future in the hands of…well…his daughter.

Steffon had never met Ginevra Gryffindor but from what Varys had told him of her beauty and compassion not to mention her magic, she would most likely be allowed to choose from any man she wanted in her father's empire.

Until he had come along with a marriage proposal from a prince that would one day make her a queen that was.

He held out hope for the fact that her father the king, had been receptive to his arguments and hadn't flatly said no. Sirius Gryffindor seemed to be a reasonable man, far more so than the king he had left and Steffon hoped that would work in his favor here in Mereen.

Frankly, he dreaded the thought of returning to King's Landing and having to tell his absolutely insane cousin that he hadn't been able to convince the Gryphon King to betroth his daughter to his son.

He had seen the greedy look in the mad king's face when Lord Varys had mentioned the Valyrian lineage and the fact that Ginevra Gryffindor was a sorceress.

In that moment, Steffon had knew that the king would be focused on obtaining no other woman for his son. He was obsessed with power and the moment he had heard her name, his objective had shifted.

Varys must have known this would uproot Tywin's desires to make his own daughter a queen and seemed to take a subtle sort of pleasure in doing it too. There were very few people who liked Tywin in the keep and Aerys had done an excellent job of alienating him when he ordered his cousin to travel to the free cities to secure this only bride of an ancient Valyrian house.

Alienating the Old Lion might be a dangerous move however and once Aerys died, Rhaegar would need to do everything in his power to ensure that he had the Lannisters full support. They could be a lethal enemy otherwise.

In the back of his mind, even though he knew it was slim, Steffon prayed to the Seven that Ginevra Gryffindor would agree to the marriage proposal. Westeros was badly in need of some fresh blood and a gentle hand was in desperate need in King's Landing.

From what he had heard, Ginevra handled matters of diplomacy for her father, she was a warrior in her own right and possessed magic as well as rode her own dragon into battle like Rhaenys or Visenya Targaryen of old.

He hadn't even met her yet and he had a feeling that she would special…something Westeros was sorely in need of before the king's madness alienated all of his nobles and a civil war was waged.

Getting up from his bed, he strolled out onto the balcony which over looked Mereen with a perfect view of Gryphon Bay.

 _It certainly is peaceful here,_ he thought to himself. _Nothing like the chaos of the capital that I left._

For one wild moment he almost wanted to stay.

Robert was almost of age and he could leave him to look after Storm's End. Perhaps he could place himself as an advisor to Sirius Gryffindor as the man certainly seemed to value the people around him better than Aerys ever did. One only had to look at the abolition of slavery to know that.

Then reason returned and he sighed and shook his head. If he didn't return to Westeros, Aerys might take it as a sign of betrayal from House Baratheon and he had no idea what he might do then.

He glanced up at the stars which were out in full force over the bay area and breathed a sigh, but what he was releasing, he didn't know.

 _Gods I hope it will all come good,_ he thought. _Else the only reason I will be returning to Westeros at all will be to retrieve my sons and leave the life I know behind…..for good._

Ω

 _Two weeks later…_

Needless to say that when Ginny returned to Kosrak with the returned hostages in tow she was greeted by a good deal of relieved and weeping parents and the call once more turned to _myhsa._

Ginny had grown used to the term over the last two years and took it as a sign that the people genuinely cared about what it was she did.

All of the tearful children were returned to their parents who were hard pressed to stop weeping upon seeing their loved ones and Ginny retired to the town hall for the night with Magister Areo who looked grey with relief upon seeing her safe.

Orius had commanded the rest of the Unsullied to patrol the city gates for the night until the following morning where they could begin to restore the walls to the way they were before the Dothraki attacked.

Once they were up, Ginny intended to implement wards on the walls so that it would be that much harder for them to be breached again. Wards and runes were something she had always had a natural talent for as opposed to defense against the dark arts or transfiguration. She had worked hard at those things, but ancient runes and warding she had always liked better because once she released the flow of magic, she didn't have to worry about expending any more energy on it.

And so the following morning, the construction on the walls began.

Everyone helped, even to a certain extent the women and children which surprised Ginny. Seeing the entire inhabitants of the small city pitch in was a heartwarming sight as it meant they were serious about defending themselves.

Ginny helped in the process too as did Magister Areo by identifying where the weakest spots were and which needed to be reinforced.

Ginny did have to spend several days in conference with him, uncovering what she had learned and telling him to be on the look for the Dothraki again as until she and her father dealt with this much larger problem of Morosh and Santh, it wasn't likely to cease.

Ginny made up her mind one night, nearly a fortnight after she had come to Kosrak to apparate back to Mereen and inform her adoptive father about what had happened as something as serious as the possible regeneration of the slave trade could not be ignored.

After the day's work had been completed, she had gone to her guest room with Orius and Gavreen standing guard outside the door and had taken a long hot bath to try and clear her mind.

It was early evening, still far too early for bed and Ginny had chosen this particular time to return to Mereen and make a full report to her father.

After she had bathed and put on one of the few dresses she had brought with her, Ginny spun on her heel and apparated back to her chambers in Mereen.

It was around this time that Sirius and Vellaena retired for the evening after a full day in court and would be readying themselves for a private dinner most likely and she knew where they would be.

When they didn't have guests visiting, the king and queen ate alone in their chambers. They saw each other so little throughout the day that they liked to spend the evenings together.

Leaving her own chambers, the red head strode down the hall of the thirty third floor of the great pyramid, careful to disillusion herself as she didn't want anyone to see her and make a fuss. The sweet smell of the flowers in the gardens that occupied the thirty third floor assailed her senses and caused her to unconsciously breathe deeply.

The candles in the pyramid were beginning to be lit for the evening and as she walked past the courtyard that existed outside of the royal chambers, she could hear the water of it gently trickling into the pool below.

Through the skylight, Ginny could see the pale pink and periwinkle sky of early evening above her and knew it was going to be another beautiful night in Essos.

As soon as she was outside her adoptive father and stepmother's door, Ginny took a deep breath, raised her hand and knocked.

She heard a low murmur on the other side and the moment she heard the sound of the door knob turning, she released the spell on herself.

The first face she saw was Sirius who blinked in surprise upon seeing her. He didn't say anything for which she was grateful as the last thing she needed was a lot of fuss.

Instead, he reached out, took her hand and pulled her gently into the room before shutting and bolting the door behind her.

Vellaena who was sitting at the table, brushing her long hair before bed, jumped at the sound and whirled around.

Her eyes widened upon seeing the princess, her apparition having become something she had grown used to since she had become queen. "Ginny! You're back!"

The red head gave Sirius a quick hug before going over to do the same to her honorary step mother. "I am. But I have only come to make a full report before I return to the city.

There is still much work that needs to be done."

"What news from Kosrak?" Sirius asked getting over the surprise of seeing her and immediately going into ruler mode.

"The city is secure," Ginny said which prompted a sigh of relief from Vellaena and a smile from Sirius.

"I knew you could do it," she said and she gave him a fond smile before returning to the matter for which she had returned. "However, I'm afraid there is something rather serious that I need to call to your attention."

Vellaena's brow furrowed in concern and Sirius's black eyes narrowed. "What is it?"

Ginny sighed. "Upon reaching the city with my men, Magister Areo informed me that this had been happening quite frequently. After this troubling piece of information, I was informed by at least two dozen of the city's citizens that their children had been abducted in the raid."

Vellaena's eyes widened in concern, and Sirius muttered a series of curses under his breath. "What else did you learn?"

Ginny sighed. "After obtaining the names of the children who had been abducted on a list, Orius and I took Septimus and went after them."

This time, Vellaena was the one cursing while Sirius paled, though Ginny didn't know if it was from anger or fear.

She held up her hands before both of her honorary parents could protest. "Yes, I know it was a reckless move but the Dothraki already had a few hours head start on us and there was no way I would have been able to catch them with two thousand Unsullied on foot. Septimus was the fastest way to get there and he can only take so many people.

Orius is someone I know I can trust absolutely and the rest of the Creed had to secure the city."

"While I am not pleased that you went off on your own, I can understand the decision," Sirius said finally. "You made a judgement call and your biggest opponent in this was time."

Ginny nodded. "It took a few hours, but we caught up with them finally. I was relieved to see that none of the children had been harmed, but they were also being heavily guarded by several screamers, which is….unusual to say the least. In a normal situation women are taken and raped right away so that should they ever be rescued, their families no longer have use for them. But that didn't happen in this case."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Vellaena grimace and knew that the other woman was thinking about what had nearly happened two years ago before Ginny had come down the alley and stopped it.

Sirius put a hand on his wife's shoulder and squeezed it, his own eyes burning with a ferocious black fire.

"Go on Ginny," he said tersely.

The red head took a deep breath and continued. "I killed one of the screamers off and while they were distracted dealing with the sudden death, Orius and I attacked. I used the _bombarda_ charm to scatter them firstly. I used my magic to take out most of them, but it was difficult. They are barbarians but there is a reason they have been called the finest killers alive. The ones I didn't touch with my magic, my sword took and the others, Orius slew."

Vellaena breathed a sigh of relief.

"Septimus came to our assistance after a few minutes then and burned nearly all the rest of them. However, there were some that were kept alive for questioning. And then I discovered a plot of a most…..disturbing nature."

Sirius raised an eyebrow at her, a clear indication for her to continue.

Ginny took another deep breath and let the whole story out in the exhalation. She told her father about learning who the leader behind the raid was from the mind of one of the other khals and then she told him about searching Barbo's mind and discovering the sordid plot he and Magister Ilio were involved in and how they were trying to reboot the slave trade as they were disgruntled with Sirius's reign.

By this time, her adoptive father's face had gone from white to purple and his muscles were so tight, Ginny feared any sudden movement might make them spasm.

"I should have razed that city with Faebian when that snivelling worm refused to bend the knee the first time!" he roared.

Vellaena just looked sad. "Those poor children. You ensured that they were returned to their parents didn't you Ginny?"

"Of course," the red head said. "After I took care of Barbo, I let the remaining khals live by letting them walk back to Vaes Dothrak with Barbo's braid and with the message that my father and I are coming for them."

Sirius's smile turned menacing there and for a second, it looked more like he was baring his teeth like Septimus and Faebian did when they were getting ready to unleash their fiery breath on someone.

"Take out the blood riders if you must," Vellaena said quietly. "But please be kind to their women and children, they have not done anything wrong in this."

"Of course," Ginny said gently. "But the Dothraki way of life of pillaging, raping and burning has to come to an end. We cannot have peace if we have bands of screaming painted men riding the country whose greatest joy is in spilling blood."

"I agree," Sirius said grimly. "Sometimes in order to achieve peace, blood has to be spilt. I gave Morosh a chance to join our empire and relented with they refused because they did not rely on the slave trade even though the raids by pirates were questionable. But now…..now they have brought their fate upon their own heads."

"Just remember that the problem is Ilio himself," Ginny urged him. "He needs to be removed from power immediately and someone we trust installed."

"I don't why I didn't search his mind when he refused to join the kingdom the first time."

"Because you trusted that he was who he said he was," Ginny said gently. "That wasn't your fault father. It was no one's fault. We cannot be faulted for wishing to believe the best about people. I remember my mother once telling me that the only thing necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do _nothing._ I know you remember her saying that too. Evil is trying to prevail, and we need to do all we can to stop it."

"Aye," said Sirius, a faraway look in his eyes and Ginny knew he was remembering another time in place.

"And after this you are returning Kosrak to continue rebuilding the city Ginny?" Vellaena inquired.

"Yes," the red head replied. "Although the Unsullied have done a remarkable job helping with the walls and I assisted with magic. We should only be a few more days in the city before we march back to Mereen."

"Well then good," Vellaena said, throwing a sidelong look at Sirius. "Because I believe there is something your father and I should tell you before you return so you aren't blindsided with the news and have time to think about it."

Ginny's eyes narrowed. "What news?"

It was Sirius that answered. "There has been another request for your hand in marriage…..and this time it isn't from just anyone."

The red head looked warily at her adoptive father and step mother. "Alright….what does that mean? Who is it from?"

She was always cautious when she heard that requests had been put forward for her hand. She was only a few weeks out from her eighteenth birthday and the idea of marrying now still took some getting used to. If she were still in England marriage wouldn't have been something she might have thought about until she was in her mid-twenties. But here in Essos, that was considered rather old for a bride.

Needless to say it was still something Ginny was getting used to.

Vellaena and Sirius exchanged glances. "This is something that needs time to be considered, because it isn't a decision that can be made right away. All the other proposals we received for you were simplistic no answers. However…..if we were to say no to this one, there might be some political connotations attached."

Ginny's eyes narrowed even further. "Now you're making me nervous. Who is the one who has put forth the proposal?"  
Sirius sighed and sat down on the bed while Vellaena took over for him. "The proposal has come from across the Narrow Sea. In fact it has come from a representative on behalf of Aerys Targaryen for his son, the crown Prince Rhaegar."

Of all of the things Ginny might have been expecting to hear, a proposal from a prince was certainly not one of them.

It was rather hard to mask her surprise. She blinked at her step mother several times before sitting down in the chair next to her with a rather incredulous look on her face.

"Well," was all she said, "That's a new one."

Sirius chuckled to himself. "Aerys' representative arrived two weeks ago, a week after you left for Kosrak. I suppose it goes to show how much the dragon king wishes for this union as he sent his own cousin to propose it."

"Steffon Baratheon is here?" Ginny asked in surprise.  
That _was_ interesting and she knew she wasn't the only one wondering about the Targaryens motives in proposing this marriage now that Sirius was the king of Essos.

"This has to be a power grab," the red head said as she thought this surprising turn of events over.

"That was my thinking as well," Sirius said. "Although it is no surprise that word of our magic has reached the ears of Westeros along with our many conquests and the…..assets we possess. Aerys Targaryen may be a mad man but he is a man who highly prizes his Valyrian lineage and the Gryffindors are an ancient Valyrian family. It is my belief that he wishes to join the last two great Valyrian houses in marriage."

"Also possibly to ensure that any grandchild he has will inherit magic as well," Vellaena muttered and Ginny nodded at her step mother. That had been her thinking as well.

"Did he say much about the man I would be potentially marrying himself?" Ginny asked. "I have heard all this talk about Aerys Targaryen, but not his son. What is this prince Rhaegar like?"

Sirius looked at his wife again. "I am told that he is a just and fair man. Apparently many of Westeros's nobles have pinned their hopes on him for the future once Aerys dies. He doesn't possess the Targaryen madness and I am told will be an excellent ruler."

Ginny looked at her adopted father critically. "But you are thinking this is all too good to be true?"  
Sirius pursed his lips. "Not exactly. But the madness of prince Rhaegar's father is something to keep in mind. Steffon Baratheon himself told me that after the spy master in King's Landing, a man by the name of Lord Varys told the king of the empire we have created and the members of House Gryffindor itself, especially you and your abilities, the king would have no other woman for his son. An obsession like that can be dangerous."

Ginny nodded thoughtfully.

"But," Vellaena interrupted, in an attempt to provide an alternative perspective. "If you should agree, you will be marrying the son, not the father. That is just something to keep in mind and perhaps we should not judge prince Rhaegar on the sins of Aerys. The gods know the man has many."

Ginny nodded again. "That is also something to keep in mind."

She turned to Sirius once more who had gotten to his feet and was standing at the threshold of the balcony, looking out at the bay beyond. "Was there more that Steffon Baratheon said?"

"Aye," the king replied. "I said surely there were many young women in Westeros who would be an ideal bride for prince Rhaegar. He said there were many lovely young women, but none that the realm needed."

Ginny frowned. "What did he mean by that?"

"That is what I asked," Sirius replied. "And it seems that not only word of your magic as reached the people of Westeros. They have heard what we did to abolish the slave trade and the many ways in which you have helped the poor and worked alongside city common folk and magisters. Steffon Baratheon seems to think that a gentle hand like yours is something that Westeros is badly in need of."

Ginny blinked and digested that for a second. "Is life in the capital that bad?"

"I don't really know what is meant by the word bad," Sirius said. "But it is easy enough to say that Aerys Targaryen has been a terrible ruler, though he was not always so. Centuries of "keeping the bloodline pure" have taken a toll on the sanity of the dragon kings."

Ginny grimaced, thinking of the man's wife, having to live with a husband like that that had just been described.

"And so now they are looking for fresh blood," she muttered.

Vellaena nodded, grimacing. "Now that Queen Rhaella has birthed no daughters and only has two healthy sons to this day, the tradition of wedding brother to sister has been interrupted if only for this generation."

"And if I were to accept, I would be responsible for breaking a tradition that has lasted for centuries."

Unfortunately Sirius read her mind right away. "Ginny I do not want you to put yourself at risk of the Targaryens on some misplaced idea of trying to save this family from a mad man. The Targaryens wed brother to sister for centuries and some of them were more insane than rabid dogs. Unfortunately it is a tradition that will most likely carry on long after you and I and the current members of House Gryffindor have turned to dust."

Ginny nodded grimly. "I know. Did you give Steffon Baratheon an answer?"

Sirius blinked. "Of course not. This is a very important decision and I would not make it without you. This is your life that is being discussed and I would never make a choice like this in your absence."

Ginny smiled at him. "I know that. And I know you would always leave decisions like this up to me. But….it is something to consider at the very least."

She glanced out the balcony at the sky that was rapidly darkening over Mereen and the bright stars that were coming out for all to gaze upon. "Do you happen to know where Lord Steffon is now? I think I'd like to speak with him about this."

Vellaena smiled. "The last time that I saw him, he was in the gardens at the base of the pyramid with his wife Cassana. He may still be there."

Ginny got up and strode out onto the balcony where she might look down at the city below her.

She could see the faint lights of candles and torches all across the city as well as the faint calls of citizens saying good night to one another. The stars were out in full force and the air was warm which made it perfect for a stroll.

The red head then looked down into the gardens which were hundreds of feet below her and made out the figures of two lone people strolling beneath the eucalyptus and palm trees arm in arm.

"It would seem that both of our guests from Westeros have not retired for the evening yet," she commented to Sirius who had come out and was standing beside her.

"No indeed. Do you wish to speak with them now before you return to Kosrak?"

She nodded. "I think so."

Vellaena came out and stood beside her husband and step daughter and put an arm around Ginny's shoulders. "If that is so than you might wish to change your clothes first."

Ginny glanced down at her manner of dress in confusion. She admitted it was a little plain, but that was only practicality's sake. She hadn't been planning on attending any great feasts while she had been in Kosrak. It was a mission of diplomacy and nothing more. "What's wrong with that I have on?"

"Nothing," the Qartheen woman said gently. "But it's not really the thing that one wears when they meet diplomats from a foreign country who have come on behalf of a king."

Ginny pursed her lips and looked down at the plain blue long sleeved dress. "No….I suppose not."

She smiled up at her adoptive parents. "It seems I will have to put on something more presentable then."

Ω

Shortly after, Ginny had bathed and with the help of Missandei who was delighted to see her, selected a dress that would be more befitting those of a princess about to meet foreign envoys sent from a king.

It was in her house colors of gold and had a flowing skirt with two golden bands connecting across her upper body only to crisscross in the back before connecting to the back part of the skirt. There was a wide piece of material across her chest, leaving her stomach and shoulders bare but for the bands that held it all together. The bands themselves appeared bevelled like they were dragon scales.

Missandei had brushed her scarlet curls to the right side of her head and fastened them in place with a golden pin to compliment the ensemble. Ginny wore a golden ring on her finger but otherwise held no other adornments. She still was a little uncomfortable with the idea of showing so much skin but had seen some of the magazines that Lavender and Parvati had been looking at when she was still had Hogwarts and had decided that there were far more scantily clad women in those issues than something she would ever wear, even in Essos.

After Missandei had rubbed some of the perfumed oils from Myr into her skin, causing it to seem even fairer and almost glow in the dying light as well as give off a luscious scent,

Ginny stepped out onto her balcony to see if the Baratheons were still in the gardens.

Sure enough, they were and after taking a deep breath, the red head disillusioned herself and apparated down into the gardens about fifty yards from where they were.

She kept them in her sights as they strolled along and only stayed about ten feet behind. Ginny was employing a technique she had used quite frequently when she came to cities that had not yet been conquered. She liked to walk amongst its people disillusioned or in disguise and truly hear what she had to say. That way she was more likely to hear the truth as opposed to some pretty lie.

"It certainly is beautiful here isn't it?" she heard Cassana say. "I almost wish we could stay."

Steffon laughed. "For one insane moment shortly after we arrived and I proposed this marriage to King Sirius, I considered it."

Cassana looked at him, a little startled. "You did?"

"Aye. Robert is almost of age, he could rule Storm's End and we could bring Stannis and Renly here."

Ginny paused, that was intriguing.

"And what would we do in Mereen?" Cassana Baratheon asked sounding amused.

"Perhaps I could become an advisor to King Sirius," Steffon suggested, sounding oddly hopeful. "The life we live in Westeros is not a bad one. But it has become a rather tense one in the last decade or so."

Cassana sighed. "I know. I know that the recent….instability has put us all on edge but it cannot be forever."

"Oh no?" her husband asked. "How many more people does Aerys Targaryen have to burn or maim before someone does something about it? It would be almost worth it to stay behind in Mereen and be called a traitor if it meant we were safe."

"You should not say such things," Cassana said looking about worriedly. "You do not know who might be listening."

"I have been assured by King Sirius that he has used magic to test the minds of everyone that serves him in this pyramid and that there are no spies. If he is convinced of it, then so am I."

"You seem to have a good deal of confidence in him," Cassana observed.

"And why shouldn't I?" Steffon replied. "In the last few weeks that we have visited Mereen, Sirius Gryffindor has proven that he is a far better king than Aerys. I have observed him when he holds his court sessions with the queen. He is a man in whom no embellishment can be found and his mannerisms have a way of cutting through the nonsense, but he is not naïve at all. He has a firm grasp on his own reality and he seems to be a benevolent ruler who has abolished the slave trade and established good trading rapports with almost every major city on this continent. The common folk sing his and his daughter's praises and he enjoys absolute loyalty from many of his followers. That aspect is something that Aerys Targaryen will _never_ have."

Ginny could tell even from the distance where she remained disillusioned that her adopted father had made an impact on this man.

 _It is a wonderful thing that Sirius is having this level of success,_ she thought to herself proudly. _God knows he deserves all of it after what he went through in his first life._

"I am anxious to meet his daughter however when she returns from Kosrak," Steffon continued and Ginny snapped back into paying attention. "I have heard excellent and wonderful things, but I wish to see for myself how true they are."

Ginny chose that moment to reveal herself.

"I do hope what you have heard has been good Lord Baratheon," she said. "After all, reputation in this land is unfortunately everything."

The Baratheons stiffened at the sound of the unexpected voice and whirled around to face her.

She saw Lord Steffon's eyes go wide when he got a look at her and the various emotions on his face. First it seemed he was wondering who had spoken, then he seemed to be wondering who she was. And then finally it seemed it had registered.

In the next minute he had bowed low. "Princess Ginevra. It is truly an honor to meet you at last."

His wife Cassana followed suit with a curtsy and Ginny smiled at the sight of them. From what she had heard so far, they seemed completely genuine and sincerity was something that she liked. She despised people who dealt in the shadows.

"Lord Steffon, it is a pleasure. My father has told me much about you," she said, her smile in place.

"Did you recently arrive your grace?" Cassana asked and Ginny had a feeling that the older woman was trying to see if she had used magic to do it.

"Indeed my lady," she said. "No more than an hour ago. I needed to make a full report to my father regarding the raids on Kosrak but I will returning this very night. The wall around the city is still in need of several more repairs before it can be serviceable again and I plan on leaving four hundred of the Unsullied in the city for the next six months to ensure that the raids have ceased."

"A wise decision," Steffon said politely as Ginny moved to walk beside them.

"Thank you," she said. "And speaking of decisions, my father has informed me that you have come from Westeros with a rather intriguing proposal. Would you indulge me my lord?"

Steffon blinked for a moment but then nodded. "I have come on behalf of Aerys Targaryen your grace. It is his great desire that you should accept a proposal of marriage to his son prince Rhaegar."

Ginny gave the Storm lord a wry smile, glad Sirius and Vellaena had warned her beforehand. "And what makes King Aerys so certain that I will be a good wife for his son?"

She saw Steffon and Cassana exchange glances before the former spoke again. "May I be blunt your grace?"

"Certainly," Ginny said. "I find I prefer plain conversation as opposed to cloak and dagger discourses."

"Very well then," Steffon continued. "Word of your father's conquests and dragons and gryphons in possession of Gryffindor house have reached the ears of King Aerys along with the extraordinary power that the both of you possess. This has made him…..absolutely certain that you will be the only bride fit for his son."

He was telling her in the nicest and vaguest way that he could that it had nothing to do with her personality or intelligence that this marriage was being proposed. Rather it had everything to do with her and Sirius's magic and the dragons they possessed and this was the only way Aerys could think of to get his hands on more power.

It was appalling and Ginny was working towards change, but she also knew that power in this world was secured by the right connections and this often meant marriage no matter how horrendous the matches were.

 _There is the odd time when I miss the world I came from,_ she thought to herself. _Women were allowed to just be themselves and there was no one to say otherwise. If I wanted to play professional Quidditch than I could do it and there was nothing wrong with that. If I wanted to be a stay at home mother like my own mother….well then that was okay too. Choice….that is something that so lacking to the women in this world and it is appalling when one thinks about it.  
_

Steffon noticed the rather hard expression on her face and exchanged another glance with his wife as they walked through the gardens which Ginny caught right away.

"You need not worry Lord Steffon," she said. "I am not angry. However, I am rather concerned about the situation I would be going into if I agreed to this marriage. You have just detailed to me that your king has seemingly developed an obsession with having me for his son and I would be living in an environment where I would have to see him every day."

"With all due respect your grace," Steffon Baratheon countered. "You would be marrying the son, not the father."

"True enough," Ginny conceded. "And what can you tell me about this Prince Rhaegar? What is he like?"

This time, Cassana took over.

"I can frankly say your grace that Rhaegar Targaryen is the reason that the nobles of King's Landing and the realm at large are hopeful about the future."

"I take it then that he does not possess the Targaryen madness?" Ginny asked even though she already knew the answer.

"No, your grace," Steffon said even though he winced before saying it. "He does not."

"Do you know the prince personally Lord Baratheon?"

"I have spoken with him a number of times your grace."

"And what have you ascertained about his character from these conversation?"

Steffon blinked for a moment and then appeared as if he were thinking hard. "He is a young man of honesty and integrity your grace. I do not think you will meet a finer prince."

Ginny paused as the two Baratheons walked on either side of her. "And what think you lady Cassana? Do you agree with your lord husband?"

"I do your grace."

Ginny nodded and folded her hands behind her back, eyes trained on the stars as they strolled. It was a lovely time of night and she knew she had to be getting back to Kosrak soon. Orius might begin to wonder where she was.

"And one final question Lord Baratheon before I return to Kosrak to consider this further. Can you tell me what prince Rhaegar looks like?"

The question was so unexpected that Steffon Baratheon visibly fumbled for a moment before recovering. "You wish to know what his physical appearance is your grace?"

Ginny smirked at him. "I do. Indulge me for a moment won't you? If this man is to be my intended than I would like to know something about him besides his qualities before going to King's Landing."

Her answer must have given Steffon hope for she saw a light in his blue eyes.

"Very well then," he said. "Rhaegar Targaryen has the looks of his ancestors. He is tall, well built, with silvery blonde hair and violet eyes. There really isn't much else I can tell you about his looks your grace. I suppose it is something you will have to see for yourself."

It took nearly all of Ginny's self-control to maintain a blank look on her face.

All of a sudden it was two years earlier and she was reminded of that haunting vision she had seen in the House of the Undying of an older version of herself with a child in her arms and a man who fit the exact description that Steffon Baratheon had detailed.

It felt like there was ice water in her veins and she knew she had stiffened slightly when he had told her the answer to her question.

 _This means nothing,_ she thought fiercely to herself. _You have no way of knowing if this prince Rhaegar is the man from that vision you had. The Undying were just trying to lure you into a false sense of security so they could kill you. That vision was meant to slow you down and prevent you from escaping….and it almost worked._

But even still…..her heart was pounding and she was wondering what this all meant. She still remembered the vision she had had in excruciating detail and try as she might, it was always in the back of her mind as an example of how physically happy she could be.

 _Is this some sort of omen?_ She thought to herself in confusion. _Or am I being toyed with again?_

She didn't realize that her expression must have been a little tense for the lord of Storm's End looked at her in concern. "Have I overwhelmed you your grace?"

The red head blinked and then smiled at him. "Not at all Lord Steffon. But it would seem that I do have much to consider. Thank you for you honest words. I will bid you a goodnight and return to Kosrak for there is still much to be done there."

She inclined her head to the couple and then strode away several feet.

"Your grace?" Steffon called out and she turned her head towards him.

"Yes my lord?"

"I do not mean to rush this decision or put any sort of undue pressure on your grace to come to a decision, but if I may ask when I can have an answer to this proposal? I am afraid King Aerys is not a patient man and he will not wait forever."

Ginny turned back towards him and gave him an easy smile which betrayed nothing of her inner turmoil. "Rest assured my lord. I will have an answer for you by the time I return from Kosrak."

And then she spun on her heel and disappeared.

Ω

 **And my muse strikes again! But honestly, I have been having so much inspiration for this story lately, it is ridiculous! Coming up...Ginny makes her big decision. Don't forget to review!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Needless to say, the Baratheons went to bed that night with a lot on their minds after speaking with Ginevra Gryffindor.

Both had varying opinions on what they had seen and heard, but there were a few things that Steffon and Cassana shared in common about the encounter.

"She certainly is exquisite isn't she?" Cassana asked as she combed out her hair for bed.

"A very unique looking Valyrian beauty," Steffon concurred. "I recall Lord Varys telling us before we left that Ginevra Gryffindor wouldn't be the Valyrian beauty we were expecting and when I had a moment to look up the ancient Valyrian houses, I saw that he was indeed correct."

"What do you mean?" Cassana asked.

"I recall reading that Godric Gryffindor was not only a powerful Valyrian sorcerer, but he was one of the few who did not possess silvery blonde hair like our Targaryen rulers do.

In fact he was said to have had hair so red, it was the color of blood and eyes so blue, they were akin to the sea at high summer. He was a rather unique commodity among the Valyrians as all of them looked the same and all of his descendants were said to have either red or black hair."

"Why black?" Cassana asked.

"It was thought that he fathered many different children with many different women and before he disappeared right before the Doom, some of his children he took with him and some of them he left behind. The Targaryens were thought to have been the only family to have survived the Doom, but we can now assume that it was due to their magic that the Gryffindors survived and remained hidden in Essos until the opportune time to rise again."

Cassana nodded, taking all of this in. "And now that you have met Ginevra Gryffindor, what do you think about her?"

"Her beauty is without question," Steffon said carefully and he meant it. The Targaryens had an ethereal beauty but apparently so did the Gryffindors. It seemed all members of ancient Valyria had been blessed with stunning looks. Even Sirius Gryffindor, though he didn't have the traditional Gryffindor looks was the vision of what a king looked like from the ancient stories. His very essence was power and authority that couldn't be questioned.

When he had seen Ginevra Gryffindor standing several feet away from them in the gardens in her house colors of gold, he had had to remind himself to speak before he looked like an absolute fool.

She had rendered him speechless for a few seconds both because he had not been expecting to see her and also because seeing her standing there in the gardens with the light of the moon shining down on her had thrown into sharp relief how absolutely stunning she was and had caused a stiffness in his tongue.

"But do you think she will be good for the realm?" Cassana pressed. "That is what I am most concerned about. Will she bring to stability in this uncertain time?"

"I would need to speak with her more in order to ascertain that," Steffon said carefully. "But she seems to be a sound intelligent individual who does not appear hesitant to dirty her hands when the situation demands it. How many young women do you know outside of Dorne maybe and even there are some exceptions there, who would lead men into battle on the back of a dragon? Not since Rhaenys and Visenya Targaryen has the world seen such a woman. Her magic alone makes her utterly unique. Yes, I think she would be a fine woman for Prince Rhaegar. Now all that is necessary is convincing herself and her father to agree with what I just said. Else there will be no point in returning to Westeros because Aerys will have called for my head."

"You are exaggerating."

Steffon chuckled wryly. "Only in part dear wife. Only in part. The only safe way we have to return will be if Ginevra Gryffindor agrees to this marriage proposal."

"Do you think she will?" Cassana asked anxiously.

Steffon sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know and this will be the most taxing part. We knew what we had to do before we arrived and it was always one step after the other, putting one foot forward. And now all we have to do is wait. I think this could go either way. Part of me feels that this will not be a flat yes or no. Ginevra like her father, reminds me of someone who is very cautious in their dealings with other people. I have seen the way the king holds court and he never does anything rashly. But he also prizes his daughter highly which is something that cannot be ignored. My answer dearest wife is that I simply do not know. I do not know and that I think will be the hardest part of all."

Cassana sighed. "I know you are right. But come, let us go to bed so you do not have to think about it anymore and at the very least if the Gryffindors reject the proposal, we can begin to seriously think about asking the king if you might serve him here. I don't like the idea of leaving our home but if that is what it takes to keep ourselves safe from an insane king than I do not care if it is treason that we commit."

The scary part was that Steffon knew she was only half jesting.

Ω

In the meantime, Ginny herself had a lot of thinking to do but her thoughts were of a different wavelength than the Baratheons.

Her mind was whirling with a million different things when she returned to her chamber in Kosrak and she was surprised she didn't splinch herself on the way with how all over the place her mind was.

 _This can't be happening,_ she thought to herself. _I refuse to believe it. There is no possible way that that vision I had two years ago in the House of the Undying had any chance of coming true…..so what game is being played?_

After she had changed and readied herself for bed, Ginny sat on the edge of the bed for a very long time, going over and over this marriage proposal until her head hurt.

Ever since she had had that vision two years ago, she had done her best not to think about it, but one way or another it had always managed to creep back into the back of her subconscious like an annoying itch that wouldn't go away.

Ginny had ingrained the sensations that she had felt in that vision into her heart forever as they were a testament to how happy she could be when the right person came along. The man in the vision had obviously been the right person and she was married to him with a child in her arms.

But the red head wasn't inclined to trust the validity of a vision compounded with a description that had been given to her by a representative of a king from across the Narrow Sea.

This was too good to be true, plain and simple.

But even as she thought that, a small voice in the back of her head was asking if she might be wrong. She was so quick to dismiss good things and remember the past that this might be another good thing that had come along.

Didn't she at least owe it to herself to see whether or not it was true?

 _I don't have to say yes right now,_ she thought calmly to herself as she lay down for bed. _As soon as this business in Kosrak is wrapped up, I will go back to Mereen and speak once more with Sirius and Vellaena. Sirius is bound to say no to every marriage proposal because he likes having me with him. But Vellaena has always been the voice of reason. I should consider more advice if anything._

Ginny knew had she been back in England she wouldn't have waited long after she was out of school to get married. She had always wanted a husband and children and a family as warm and as loving as the one she had grown up with. Even though they had all been taken from her, she had managed to find another one with Sirius and Vellaena and the triplets who were her brothers in every sense of the word.

The red head knew she deserved to be happy, and she was. Her guilt at feeling happy even though her family was now gone was abating each day because she knew they wouldn't want her to feel guilty.

She had a life to live after all.

And after hearing Steffon Baratheon's description of the prince and comparing it to the vision she had had two years ago in the House of the Undying she was now more than a little curious.

 _But that doesn't mean I am going to drop everything here and jump on a ship to sail across the sea and marry a man I don't know just because he bears a resemblance to that vision that I had. That would be beyond foolish. What I need to do is ensure that some more research is done and that Sirius, Vellaena and I have the proper precautions put in place. Aerys Targaryen may be a mad man, but Lord Baratheon did have a point. I would be marrying the son and not the father. But that doesn't mean that the father doesn't bear some watching. This is going to require a good deal of thought._

Even as she drifted off to sleep however, Ginny couldn't help but remember the feelings and emotions she had felt two years ago in the House of the Undying. She remembered the love and the passion she had felt for her husband in that vision and she would be dead if she didn't feel the same emotions now but on a smaller scale.

A large part of her wanted this to be her happy ending. She wanted that vision she had had to not be a clever ruse on the part of the Undying before she had killed them all. She wanted to be happy and to have love and to love someone else. She would always love Harry in a special and unique way because he had been her first love.

But the red head also knew for a fact that Harry wouldn't want her to spend the rest of her life alone.

She wouldn't have wanted him to spend the rest of his life alone either and that was what gave Ginny a sense of release.

 _I am not going to say yes,_ she thought to herself as she closed her eyes. _But I am not going to say no either. I have a feeling the game has changed. I am now entering a grey area._

Ω

For the next few days while Ginny was in Kosrak assisting with the repairing of the wall, her hands were enormously busy.

Her mind however was somewhere else entirely.

More than once she had been tempted to floo call her adoptive father and speak about this with him, but she knew he was likely inordinately busy chasing down leads on the things she had discovered about Morosh.

There would be a time coming when she and Sirius would need to go astride their dragons to the port city and topple Magister Ilio from power.

 _The man is a menace to society,_ Ginny thought to herself as she used magic to hang the doors in place at the front gate of Kosrak. _He needs to be put away and quickly. Sirius told me that many citizens were in favor of living under his rule as it meant more protection from the pirates who raid the coast. That needs to be dealt with._

With regards to the marriage proposal, she had come up with a few ideas in that area as well.

Because Westeros had come to them with the marriage proposal that meant that Aerys Targaryen was well informed about the Gryffindors enough to know what it was that they were capable of. If he was as obsessed with legacy and keeping the blood lines pure as Steffon Baratheon insisted he was, than there would be much he would be willing to do to ensure Ginny as a bride for his son.

So much in fact that they might be able to use that zeal to their advantage.

Ginny had no intention of saying yes to a marriage proposal where she knew nothing of the man who would be her husband. And she was in a place where she could refuse as well given how much power she had.

It was then that Ginny realized she needed to speak with Sirius and her adoptive step mother regarding a contract that would need to be drawn up and signed by all parties concerned before she agreed to anything.

It didn't matter how highly spoken of Rhaegar Targaryen was, Ginny needed to be assured of what kind of man he was and what kind of family he had been born into as well as the political climate of Westeros. She knew that she would need to be extremely careful in dealing with the Targaryens as well given what she had heard of the dragon patriarch.

All the unknowns were making her a little uneasy however and she was itching to return to Mereen and receive answers to her questions.

On her final night in Kosrak, Magister Areo held a special dinner in honor of Ginny and the help she had brought to the city in their time of need.

It was held in the council house on the ground floor and Ginny was surrounded by her Creed guards the entire time. Orius, Gavreen, Visrael, Sion, Rasheed, Daemien and Jacelyn barely left her side all night.

Magister Areo was the only one who was allowed to come near and all of the wealthy families who lived in Kosrak's walls were invited to attend as well.

There were times when Ginny thought that her Creed guard were just a little too over protective but because she had been coming here without him, Sirius had insisted that she take seven of them.

There were times when matters of diplomacy did have to take ultimate preference however and so about halfway through the night, Ginny gently told her guard to stand by the walls and entrances if they were that concerned with her safety.

There were times when she did have to commune with other diplomates and it was not as if she was completely helpless.

Orius didn't seem happy about where she had put him, but he signalled to the rest of his men to wait.

The reason he wasn't as happy about hanging back was because of what had happened when Sirius and Ginny had been in Mereen only a few weeks.

Someone had sent a Faceless Man after the king and though Sirius had been in no danger because of his magic, it had been a tense time in the pyramid. Magic always gave

Sirius and Ginny the upper hand and the ones who had hired the Faceless Man had been dealt with. It seemed that one of the wealthy magisters in Braavos had been unhappy with the way Sirius had been ruling and thus had sent an assassin after him.

Sirius had extracted the information of whom had sent him from the man's mind before allowing Faebian to feast on his flesh. His skull had been mounted on a pike outside of Mereen for a fortnight as a demonstration to all those who would dare try and threaten the new rulers.

Seeing as how survival against a Faceless Man was extremely rare, the people had been in awe of their new rulers.

No assassins had been sent after that and word of Sirius magic had spread across the continent like a wave.

Before the Faceless Man, a Sorrowful Man from Qarth had been sent after the royal princes. This time, Ginny had been the one to tear the man to shreds. After what had happened to her real brothers back in England and how she hadn't been able to save them, Ginny had a score to settle.

She had torn the man's head clean from his shoulders with utter ruthlessness and left his body for the crows in the marketplaces of Mereen.

Even Vellaena had been a little surprised with the tenacity with which she had killed the man.

Ginny decided not to explain to her stepmother the pain she had gone through when all six of her brothers had been taken from her and simply told the Qartheen woman quietly that no one threatened her family and got away with it.

After that, all assassination attempts on House Gryffindor had ceased and Essos had known peace for several months.

There were the occasional riots in some of the farther flung cities of Essos, but nothing major and House Gryffindor had dealt with such things with grace and diplomacy.

Ginny knew that Sirius had no qualms about crushing those with lethal force who would rise against them.

He did not like it when people compared him to Aegon the Conqueror, but there were times when he did remind Ginny of such a man, though with one glaring difference. Sirius had conquered Essos to end the slave trade and bring about an age of enlightenment. He hadn't done it because he wanted power.

Now that he had it however, he was going to use it in the right way. And so far things were going well.

Ginny knew she and Sirius would have to fly to Morosh astride their dragons sooner or later and topple Magister Ilio from power, but she was in favor more of a stealth mission. If the man was taken out quietly, than the Gryffindors could swoop in and offer a different alternative magister. Odds are the citizens of Morosh would be in favor of it because the raids from the pirates along the coast were gradually becoming worse and Ilio hadn't been the greatest leader for the city either. His mismanagement of the treasury in Morosh had endeared him to no one and people had been calling for his abdication of his seat of power since before Ginny learned he and the Dothraki were trying to reboot the slave trade.

 _It wouldn't be the first dictator Sirius and I have toppled from power,_ Ginny thought as she looked around the room at the visiting wealthy of Kosrak. _And it sure as hell won't be the last._

She had been asked to dance several times throughout the night and Ginny had always graciously accepted.

That was one thing she had had to learn from Vellaena when she and Sirius first came to Mereen. Because of the time he had spent in Essos before she had arrived, and his years of training as a pureblood, Sirius had no trouble picking up dancing. For Ginny who had been far more comfortable on the Quidditch pitch or with a sword in her hand found it a little difficult to grasp.

Vellaena had proven to be a patient teacher however and within a week or so, Ginny was learning to dance like a professional. Sirius often made jokes that she would be better than him soon to which the red head simply rolled her eyes.

She had no interest in dancing, but because she was also a princess as well as a warrior, courtesies had to take precedent as a form of armor as well.

 _I suppose we all must make our sacrifices in order bring about peace,_ Ginny thought in amusement.

She caught Orius's eyes from across the long room and gave him a smile, indicating that all was well.

After a moment however, her mind went back to the proposal that had been offered to her and the decision that she needed to make.

 _Something tells me that this is the hardest choice I will ever have to face in both of my lives,_ the red head thought. _I know Mum married Dad right after they graduated from Hogwarts, but I have a plan for my life. Or…..at least I did until this all happened and I ended up a princess of Essos with marriage proposals coming in by the bucket load for me._

She couldn't help but feel that the description of Prince Rhaegar and the vision she had had in the House of the Undying were inextricably linked and she also had a funny feeling that if she didn't at least follow up on this offer that she had received, she was going to regret it.

 _I need to play this very carefully,_ Ginny thought to herself as she accepted another dance. _I have no intention of saying yes without meeting this Prince Rhaegar first and if his_ _father is as mad as I have been told that he is than there will need to be some proper precautions put in place before I agree to anything._

Feeling a little bit better that she had solidified some sort of plan, Ginny allowed herself to enjoy the rest of her evening, without even thinking about the future and the marriage proposal that had come. She deserved it after all.

A time would soon be coming however when that marriage proposal would be _all_ she was thinking about.

Ω

It took around a week to return to Mereen and when she did so, Ginny was surprised to see the hundreds of citizens lining the streets to welcome her back. Mereen had a population of about two hundred thousand and as Ginny flew through the air on the back of Septimus towards the great pyramid, it seemed that every citizen of the capital city had turned out to welcome her home.

 _I certainly hope Sirius didn't arrange any sort of feast to celebrate my return,_ she thought to herself as the pyramid neared. _I spent the last two nights in Kosrak celebrating the liberation of the children from the Dothraki as well as the rebuilding of the wall, the last thing I need is any more feasts. What I do need however is a hot bath, a quiet meal and my own bed to sleep in. I didn't realize how much I could appreciate my own bed until I was away from it._

She glanced down and saw Orius leading the Unsullied through the streets at a quick march pace and smiled.

The Unsullied followed her lead, but she also knew they would obey the commands of Orius and the rest of the Creed guard as well.

The crowds were cheering and waving gryphon banners and Ginny couldn't help but smile when she saw the joy in their faces.

There were times when she felt unworthy to be a princess and still very much like that scared but brash girl who had taken down Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries.

She was still learning how diplomacy and the art of war worked after all.

But she was learning and Vellaena was there to help her and Sirius with the things they didn't know.

 _I hope the triplets are well,_ Ginny thought to herself, suddenly feeling an urge in her heart to see her adoptive brothers. _I've missed them a lot since I've been away._

Godric, Edric and Haedric were just beginning to walk and talk but they already had a zest for life that reminded Ginny a good deal of Sirius. Vellaena was hard pressed to keep up with them sometimes and cursed Sirius for the energy he had given to them.

In some ways, the three little boys reminded Ginny of Fred and George with the amount of laughter they filled the pyramid with.

They had brought a lightness to her heart since they had been born and she felt they were her chance to be a sister again and she was going to embrace it as much as she could. She had taken all of her brothers for granted in her first life and she didn't intend to do the same thing here.

Ginny still remembered her rage when she saw a Sorrowful man going after her brothers and what she had done to him.

She shook off the dark memory and raised her face to the cloudless blue sky, letting the sun on it and smiled.

This was a day of celebration. Kosrak had been liberated from the Dothraki horde and a time of peace had come once more to Essos.

Or at least it would once she and Sirius had dealt with Morosh.

 _Now I just need to decide what to do about this marriage proposal and perhaps then I can clear my head._

As the great pyramid came into greater view, Ginny smiled, realizing she was home and about to see her family.

The gardens of the great pyramid where wide enough for Septimus to land in them before he would retreat to the dragon pit at the bottom of the pyramid to rest for the evening.

With a great flapping of wings and the buffeting of the winds, Ginny guided Septimus down to land in the gardens.

Even from the still lofty distance she was at, she could see her adoptive father and step mother along with her little brothers standing in the courtyard waiting for her.

Sirius was holding Haedric while Vellaena was holding Godric and Missandei was holding Edric.

All of the little boys' eyes were fixed on the enormous white dragon who was slowly coming in for a landing among the gardens of the pyramid.

The dragons didn't seem to frighten them as they would be riding their own when they were older and upon seeing Ginny on the white dragon's back, all three of them squealed and clapped their hands.

The pearl dragon landed with a thunderous crash on the stones of the garden before shaking out its wings and folding them back.

The gates to the great pyramid had already opened, allowing the Unsullied and the rest of the Creed guard in.

Orius barked several commands in high Valyrian to his fellow brethren and the Unsullied and they marched into the soldiers barracks in the lower half of the pyramid before he turned and walked over to the royal family and bowed.

"Thank you for your work Orius," Sirius said to the captain of the Creed who nodded graciously. "Of course your grace."

Ginny carefully got down off of Septimus's back and grinned at her family who were smiling back at her.

She didn't see Lord and Lady Baratheon, but she didn't expect to and was certain that they were no doubt watching from the balcony of their room.

"Inny!" Godric screeched, holding out his chubby arms to her, wanting to be picked up.

The beautiful red head smiled and scooped her little brother into her arms, showering his face with kisses.

He squealed in laugher and wrapped his small arms around her neck tightly.

"Welcome back Gin," Sirius said as he stepped forward to embrace her.

"I'm so glad you're back safely," Vellaena said, stepping forward to give her step daughter a hug of her own.

"So am I," Ginny replied. "So am I. But there is still the need to do something about Morosh. Barbo has been done away with, but Ilio is still spreading his corruption."

"And we will see to him and all the rest of his cronies," Sirius soothed her. "But now is a time of celebration. You have returned safely from a time of battle and thus we must celebrate."

Ginny barely restrained a grimace. "Not another feast? Magister Areo already threw a lavish one the night before I left."

Vellaena smirked at her stepdaughter. "Oh Ginny you know your father loves a good party. Let him have this one."

"Oh very well. But there are still a good deal of things we need to talk about."

"Like this marriage proposal," Vellaena muttered and Ginny raised an eyebrow at her step mother who was looking a little apprehensive.

"And there will be time for all of that," Sirius said to his daughter. "But right now you are home and safe and that is all that matters."

Ginny smiled at him before turning towards her dragon. She walked around to the front of the dragon and looked into his large amber eyes before he lowered his head to hers.

"Thank you my friend," she whispered, conveying her thanks with her words and with her mind to him.

Godric who was still in his sister's arms let out a peal of laughter and patted the dragon's white nose. "Septi!"

He had a hard time pronouncing most of the names of his brothers his sister, or their dragons so they ended up abbreviated or hyphenated in some hilarious and amusing fashion.

The dragon puffed out a breath of warm air from his nostrils over Ginny and the babe, causing him to give another peal of laughter.

After this, the dragon leapt into the air to fly around to the other side of the pyramid where he might enter it by the dragon's entrance and go to the pit where the rest of the dragons were so he might rest.

Ginny turned to the rest of her family. "Shall we go in now?"

Vellaena smiled as Missandei handed Edric over to her. "Yes lets. I have a feeling we have much to talk over."

Ω

The feast that Sirius threw that night to welcome Ginny back to Mereen was far more lavish than the one Magister Areo had thrown to celebrate the reconstruction of the wall and the end of the raids.

The many visiting nobles were treated to an opulent feast in the hall of the pyramid, just outside of the audience chamber.

The fountain in the center of the room ran red with wine and candles were lit all about the room. They set the room ablaze with light which danced off the tall pillars in the chamber. The whole room was lit in beautiful golden tones. The one window in the room where the light of the sun would usually shine in was dark out and if one looked carefully they could see the sky that full of stars outside.

Ginny decided to wear a dress of gold again, her house colors. This time however, the dress had an open back and two long gold linen straps that crisscrossed over her chest and tied at the back of her neck, leaving her back bare.

She kept her jewelry simple and only wore a gold ring on her finger. Missandei swept her long curls to the side of her head and secured them with a large pin made from black pearls that had been discovered in the Jade Sea and that Ginny had bought from a Qartheen merchant.

Steffon Baratheon and his wife Cassana were also in attendance at the feast, but Ginny noted that they spoke little to the other guests and mostly kept to themselves.

 _I can't exactly blame them,_ Ginny thought to herself as she sipped her wine and watched the couple who looked a little uncomfortable. _They are quite outside of their comfort zone in this place. Plus coming with a royal request for marriage cannot be a job that is not stressful._

She recalled she still had yet to give the storm lord an answer about whether or not she would marry and she needed to speak to her father and stepmother about that without delay.

It was one of the reasons she hadn't wanted to attend a feast or have there be a big deal of fanfare surrounding her return.

She liked things to be nice and smooth and straight forward as she was certain that was just best for all concerned.

And there were certainly times when matter of political intrigue gave Ginny a head ache.

The red head could feel Lord Steffon's eyes on her and looked up to meet his blue gaze. He smile and inclined his head to which she returned but she could sense the man's unease from across the room.

He was obviously anxious for a reply and Ginny wondered about his relationship with the king if the man was his cousin after all.

 _If this man is afraid of his own cousin, how wary do I need to be of him as well?_ She wondered to herself.

The night progressed and the music played, the candles grew short and the shadows grew longer.

After a time, Ginny excused herself and returned to her chambers after dancing with countless nobles to ready herself for bed.

She was exhausted from her journey and eager to feel her own pillow beneath her head.

She was asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

But the following morning, it was time to get down to business.

Ginny managed to persuade her stepmother to leave the triplets with Missandei and join her in Sirius solar so they might go over the terms of this marriage proposal.

The red head was sure of one thing before anything else was spoken of. She wanted to meet this Rhaegar Targaryen before she agreed to anything. And that would require a trip oversees in a formal manner to the Targaryen court.

Once Sirius had seated himself in the chair by his desk and Vellaena sat primly on the edge of the bed, Ginny folded her hands in her lap and slowly began to pace the room.

"You seem on edge," her adoptive father observed.

The red head chuckled. "I suppose I am. I've received more marriage proposals than I can count since we came to Mereen, but never one like this."

"Ah yes, you never forget your first marriage proposal from a prince," Vellaena quipped sounding both amused and sarcastic and Ginny sent her a smirk. "I suppose I am overthinking things a bit."

"Then speak plainly," Sirius coaxed. "Tell us what is on your mind and what you have decided so far."

Ginny twisted her hands together, suddenly feeling very nervous. "In terms of a decision I haven't actually made a choice. I've been weighing the pros and cons of such a decision all week and all I've gotten from it is a head ache."

Vellaena exchanged a look with her husband before speaking up. "Ginny you've never agonized about a decision like this before. Why are you doing so now? There has to be a reason."

Ginny nodded, knowing that the time had come for her to be completely honest with both of her honorary parents.

"There is a reason," she said slowly. "And it's one I haven't told you about."

Instantly Sirius sat up and took notice for his eyes narrowed at her. "And what haven't you told me about?"

Ginny took a deep breath. "Do you recall two years ago when I went into the House of the Undying to free the children from the school that the warlocks had abducted?"

He nodded. "How could I forget? It was one of the few times in this life that I actually felt helpless. Both you and Vellaena were in that cursed place and there was nothing I could do about it."

Vellaena shuddered and instantly Sirius took her hand and squeezed it. The odd time she still had nightmares about that place.

Ginny nodded. "Well I told you about the visions in the rooms that I had there, but…there was one I didn't tell you about."

Sirius's eyes narrowed. "And why not?"

Ginny sighed, suddenly finding it hard to meet her adoptive father's eyes. "Because it was very….raw and very…personal and I wasn't ready to share it until I learned what it meant. But part of me thinks that with this marriage proposal that this might be one vision that actually comes true."

"Go on Ginny," Vellaena said softly.

Ginny closed her eyes, afraid to dredge up the emotions she had felt in that vision, emotions that she had tried so hard to bury as they were too painful to think about. She had thought for the last two years that something like that would never happen to her and now that it actually might, she was afraid.

She was surprised when she felt tears begin to slip down her cheeks and took a deep shuddering breath.

Vellaena reached out and took her step daughter's hand in concern. Whatever this vision was, it had obviously affected her deeply.

"After I had the vision about the strange throne room filled with snow and ice and those monsters, I ran back out the door…only to find myself somewhere else.

"I was in a garden, a beautiful garden one very different to the gardens of Mereen. I had no idea where I was until I looked around. And that was when I saw….myself. It was another version of me, but in this one I was a little older…nineteen or twenty maybe. And there was a child in my arms."

She opened her eyes to meet those of her parents and felt her vision blur again. "He was a beautiful baby boy and he had my eyes. But his hair was a beautiful silvery blonde that I had never seen before. I watched myself for a long time…and I realized how happy I was. The older version of me was the happiest I had ever been. Even before…Even before mother died."

There were times when she had to be a little careful mentioning her family who died around Vellaena as she didn't know that she and Sirius had come from a different world.

"Go on Ginny," Sirius said softly, his dark eyes urging her to continue.

The red head took another breath. "In the vision, I was trying to figure out who the child's father was. And then….I saw him. He had come into the garden looking for me and…and he had silvery blonde hair just like the child in my arms. But his eyes were violet, like deep purple amethysts. It was obvious that he and the older version of myself knew each other very well because he smiled at me and teased me about something. He said matters of diplomacy require both of our attention. The other me said that our children required more of our attention."

The room was so quiet as she told her story that Ginny thought she might have been able to tell if someone dropped a pebble in it.

"And then?" Vellaena asked softly.

Ginny closed her eyes again, trying to recall everything she had felt in that moment and was nearly distracted when a wave of emotion crashed over her.

"And then he kissed me," she whispered. "He told me he loved me and I said I loved him…and I recall thinking to myself that this was as happy as I was ever going to be. That nothing else would come along and make me happier. And that this was all I had ever wanted and been searching for since….since our family died. And then….it was over. I was back in the room with the Undying and forced to fight for my life."

She opened her eyes, taking a few breaths before she saw the concerned and loving expressions on her parents face.

Slowly the red head sat down on the bed and put her head on Vellaena's shoulder while the brunette put her arm around her step daughter and pulled her a little closer to her.

"I thought for the longest time that the Undying were simply toying with me and that that vision had only been meant to slow me down so that they could trap me in that place forever. But it wasn't until Lord Steffon came with this marriage proposal that I thought maybe….maybe it could be true."

Sirius's eyes on her were steady but she could tell he was somewhat moved by what she had told him. "Is what why whenever a proposal comes forward for your hand, you always make sure to ask what the man looks like if he's not there?"

Ginny nodded, a little surprised her step father had picked up on that. Most of the magisters who came to Mereen to propose marriage usually brought their sons with them so they could meet the king and the princess. But of the ones that didn't, she had always made sure to ask what they looked like, just satisfy her own curiosity. Or perhaps to assure herself that what she had seen in the House of the Undying was a dream and nothing more."

"And this man…in the vision," Vellaena said. "He had silvery blonde hair and violet eyes. And is this what Prince Rhaegar resembles."

Ginny nodded. "When I returned from Kosrak to give you my report a week ago and I spoke to the Baratheons, I made certain to ask what he looked like. I didn't want to invade his mind and ask as he was being truthful and honest with me, but I had to know. And that was when he told me."

She got to her feet and began to pace again. "I don't know if I'm losing my mind but…I can't say no to this proposal until I see this man's face for myself with my own two eyes. But…I don't want to be naïve about this either."

"Very well then," Sirius said. "So don't say yes, but we don't say no either. If you really wish to see him for yourself before you decide than we must go to King's Landing."

Ginny's eyes met her adoptive father's. "Perhaps that is a good idea. But what about Morosh? We certainly don't need to leave with a piece of scum like Magister Ilio in charge of the city."

"We'll discuss that in a moment," Sirius replied. "But at the moment, this is about you and your happiness. If this how you truly feel and you will not be satisfied with simply saying no until you have seen the prince for yourself, than the course of action is clear. We must meet the Targaryens."

"But what about his father?" Ginny asked. "We have heard stories of how mad he is and how obsessed with power. Suppose all of those rumors are true as well?"

"Then we will deal with them," Sirius said. "But the only way we're going to have answers to the questions we have is if we go to Westeros. If this prince Rhaegar is not the man you saw, then we will leave."

"And if he is?" Vellaena asked. "What then?"

Sirius exchanged a look with Ginny. "Then we must proceed with even more caution. I am assuming that Ginny does not want to marry this man without knowing him first."

"Absolutely not," the red head said vehemently.

"Good," Sirius said. "So if this prince Rhaegar is the man that Ginny thinks he might be than a….probationary period must be had."

"Probationary period?" Vellaena asked.

"Yes my love," Sirius said getting to his feet and beginning to pace. "We must see how this man operates in his environment, whether or not he will be a good king, if he truly does not possess the Targaryen madness, how he will treat Ginny and so on and so forth."

"And how long will this probationary period be?" Ginny asked.

"Three months," Sirius decided. "Upon reaching Westeros and meeting the prince, you realize he is this man than the probationary period for you to get to know him will be three months."

"And then?" Vellaena asked.

"And then I wish to see for myself how this young man does outside of the environment he has been raised in. If we are doing a sort of exchange with Ginny for those three months that she will spend in King's Landing getting to know the prince, then he must do the same here. We will request that this prince Rhaegar come to Mereen for the same amount of time to court Ginny in our own realm so he is away from the influence of his father. And then I believe we will truly see how his personality is."

"See the bear in his own den before you can properly assess his nature," Ginny murmured to herself, remembering the words from the Chronicles of Narnia that her mother had read to her when she was a little girl.

"Exactly," Sirius said. "And at the end of this probationary period of six months, then Ginny can make her decision."

"Are you sure you know what you are doing my love?" Vellaena asked. "Aerys is a king as well as you are. What if he does not like this plan?"

"We possess far more power than he does my love," Sirius assured her. "If he truly wishes to have Ginny as a bride for his son, then he's going to need to jump through some hoops for us."

"And if he does not agree to this?" Vellaena asked.

"Then we have no deal," Ginny spoke her voice strong once again. "I don't care how wonderful my vision was, I refuse to be wed to a man who's not willing to do what is necessary in order to either defy his father or meet my expectations. This is my life that is being discussed, I _will_ have some say. If they do not agree to even one facet of our terms, then father and I will leave King's Landing and Aerys will have to find another bride for his son."

"And if he tries to stop you?" Vellaena asked. "If what Lord Steffon said is true and this King Aerys will have no other woman for his son than you Ginevra than he will not take kindly to you leaving and not giving him what he wants."

To her surprise, both Sirius and Ginny chuckled upon hearing this. "My love did you not tell me only a week earlier that we are far more powerful than Aerys Targaryen. He is a mad man yes but he does not have our armies nor our dragons or gryphons. And if he attempts violence, I have no qualms about taking his head off and letting the nobles across the sea place a new ruler on the throne. If he harms Ginny in any way, I will make it known that I intend to bring all seven dragons to Westeros and burn the entirety of it to the ground like Aegon Targaryen of old nearly did."

Vellaena sat back. "Well then. I suppose that satisfies all of my concerns. But I do have one more."

"And what is that?" Ginny asked.

"Suppose this Prince Rhaegar meets all of your expectations, exceeds them even and he is everything you have ever wanted Ginevra. What then? There is still his father to contend with and you would be living in a keep with a mad man."

Ginny exchanged glances with Sirius glad silencing wards had been put up around the king and queen's bed chamber long ago. "I have no wish to kill a king but if that's what it comes down to than I will gladly put him down. I'll have to do it subtly of course but if it has to be done than it has to be done."

Vellaena nodded gravely. "Very well then. It seems you have decided."

"But first we need to deal with Morosh and the region of Sarnor," Sirius put in. "I don't intend to leave on a mission of international diplomacy while there is unrest still in my kingdom."

"How do you want to go about this then?" Ginny asked, suddenly all business.

Talking through plans with regards to this marriage with her adoptive parents had calmed her heart and her racing thoughts that had been going a mile a minute since Lord Steffon had told her about the marriage proposal.

She was both excited and nervous to go to King's Landing. Aerys Targaryen didn't scare her but the thought of her own expectations letting her down did.

 _If this man is not the one from my vision, then at least I will know for certain that no such man exists and I can let the vision go forever,_ she thought to herself. _I will know for certain that it was a ploy by the Undying to trap me and I can return to Mereen secure in that knowledge and get on with my life._

"I believe Ginny had a point when she said that we should make this a mission of stealth," Sirius was saying. "We should travel to Morosh quietly without the use of our dragons and do away with Magister Ilio quietly. Once it is realized that he is dead, we wait for them to act. I do recall meeting some of the men in power under the magister when I went there around eight months ago and they urged him to join Morosh to the Essosi Empire. If they still feel that way, no doubt they will send a representative or a letter even to

Mereen telling me thus. And even if they do not, I am in contact with all of the other magisters in the area and no doubt one of them will inform me of Ilio's death. Once they do, I will take Faebian and we will fly to Morosh to see to the appointment of a new magister."

"What about Ilio's second in command Rio?" Ginny suggested. "He seemed like a decent man when you spoke with him."

"Aye he did. I will suggest this option upon Ilio's death," Sirius acceded. "But first we need to deal with the scum that is Ilio himself."

"And then the two of you will be departing for King's Landing," Vellaena said softly. "I will stay behind to help rule in your stead with Gulian."

"Thank you my love," Sirius said kissing her softly. "I will leave behind a means of communicating with me if there are any problems and if you should have need of me than I will apparate to Mereen at once."

She smiled at him. "Good, I would feel more comfortable that way."

"Speaking of a means of transportation," Ginny said slowly. "Do you think it might be a good idea to bring Septimus and Faebian with us?"

Sirius got an almost wolfish smile on his face. "What an excellent idea daughter. It would show them our power and remind House Targaryen if they should ever cross us that House Gryffindor will rain down fire and blood upon their heads."

Ginny smirked at him.

After some deliberation a few months ago Ginny and Sirius had decided to come up with some house words. They hadn't had any when they had been in school and in Gryffindor house, but every ancient Valyrian house had their own house words and Ginny felt House Gryffindor should be no different.

So after some deliberation they had decided on _Where Dwell the Brave_. It was chosen in honor of the sorting hat's words at every welcome feast they had ever attended. Ginny also wanted it to be known even in this world that House Gryffindor had courageous people in it who would not hesitate to deal with injustice.

It would also be delicious irony to rain down the physical manifestation of the Targaryen words upon their heads should they refuse to comply with their demands.

After they had made their plans, a contract had been drawn up which had been observed all three Gryffindors and Gulian himself before Sirius had asked the steward if he would ask the Baratheons to come to the audience chamber.

Ginny had left to dress appropriately for court after her step mother told her that what she was wearing was more suited to riding on Septimus as opposed to hearing dignitaries.

She said it with fondness however, knowing that while her step daughter did occasionally like wearing pretty things, she like practicality as well.  
When Ginny emerged from her chambers in a pale blue dress with an open back, Vellaena nodded approvingly and took the red head's arm so the three of them might apparate into the court room together.

Sirius liked to keep all the visiting dignitaries on their toes so whenever they had news to share with the court, they would always apparate into the audience chambers.

It had a way of keeping people on their toes and reminding them not to cross the King as he could do things no other king could.

As they walked down to the audience chamber, Sirius placed a hand on Ginny's arm. "You're sure you wish to do this? It's not too late to back out. I know we have plans put in place to guard against the worse, but if you decide this isn't worth it tell me now and we will send our guests on their way."

Ginny smiled at her adoptive father. "I know. But I also know if I decline this proposal without first seeing and meeting this man than I am going to regret it. I'd rather know all of my options to the fully before saying no to something I am not completely sure of.'

He smirked at her. "Spoken like a true Slytherin."

She nudged him lightly in the ribs. "These last few years they had all had to act like Slytherins in order to survive.

They would have to continue to do so again.

"Are the both of you ready?" Vellaena asked as they neared the doors to the audience chamber.

Ginny listened carefully and nodded when she heard the Baratheons murmuring inside. "I'm ready. Let us come to terms."

Sirius smirked before taking his wife and his adoptive daughter's hand and spinning on his heel.

Ω

When Gulian had arrived at the door of their chambers to inform the two Baratheons that the king, the queen and the princess wished to speak to them in the audience chamber, Steffon felt his heart beginning to beat a little faster.

 _They're going to give us an answer now,_ he thought to himself. _There is no other option. What else could they want to see us about?_

Cassana seemed similarly nervous but she was doing her best not to show it and took his hand as the two Baratheons walked behind the steward to the audience chamber.

"Do you think they will agree?" she whispered quietly.

"I don't know," her husband whispered back. "I hope they do for I do not wish to return to King's Landing and inform his grace that I failed in my task to convince the Gryffindors."

Cassana shuddered slightly. "I don't want to think of how he will react should that happen."

Steffon forced himself to keep his chin up before giving her a reassuring smile. "If they do say no there is always the option of remaining here. I could send for Robert and

Stannis and Renly quietly and we could live in Mereen under the rule of Sirius Gryffindor."

"And what about Storm's End?" Cassana asked looking amused. "We would simply leave our ancestral keep behind?"

"Not at all," Steffon said looking mildly affronted. "I'm certain Ser Cortnay has done an adequate job of managing the place in our absence and he will continue to do so. As soon as Aerys dies we can return."

"Why don't we wait to see what the Gryffindors actually say before making any escape plans my love hmm?"

"Hmm."

Gulian led the two Baratheons into the audience chamber and as before, Steffon saw that it was empty save for the guards and the gryphons who stood like sentries along the walls.

"The king will be with you shortly," Gulian said formally before leaving.

As soon as the steward disappeared, Cassana gripped her husband's hand took a deep breath.

"Are you nervous my love?" he asked her looking down at her in amusement.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked.

He chuckled. "I think it would be less obvious if you were to be a cat suspended over a canyon on a rope."

She jabbed him in ribs with her elbow, causing his chuckles to deepen.

Just then there was a cracking sound behind them and the two Baratheons turned to see the king himself, the queen and the princess appear out of thin air in front of the throne atop the dais.

He blinked and took a breath. _By the seven I certainly hope they don't intend to do that if they come to King's Landing. King Aerys will be like a child on a sugar rush if he were to see that kind of power._

It was then that he took notice of the third throne that was on the right hand side of the main one by the king's throne. It was also made of stone like the throne the queen had sat upon with the spreading gryphon wings that formed the back of it.

King Sirius led his queen and his daughter over to their chairs and only after they had seated themselves did he himself sit down.

"Lord Steffon, thank you for coming in so timely a manner," he said, his low rumbling voice ringing out across the court room like thunder and Steffon and Cassana bowed.

"Of course your grace. May I enquire as to the reason for this meeting?"

He was pretty sure he knew the reason but he wanted to know before anything else was said.

The king indulged him right away.

"I believe my daughter informed you on her return from Kosrak a week ago that she would give you an answer to this marriage proposal by the end of the week did she not?"

Steffon stole a glance at Princess Ginevra who was watching him with calm blue eyes.

Steffon had never seen eyes like that. Her eyes were as blue as the Jade Sea and seemed almost as vibrant as the waves.

There would be no problems of attraction between Prince Rhaegar and Princess Ginevra, of that he was certain. They were both stunning individuals.

"Yes your grace," he said. "She did."

"Good," the king said. "And we now have an answer for you. Ginevra?"

He gestured for his daughter to take the floor and she nodded at him before focusing her attention on the Baratheons. "We have not decided to say yes to this proposal Lord Baratheon."

Steffon's shoulders sagged and he immediately began thinking of ways to explain to his king why the Gryffindors had said no.

But it didn't seem that the princess was quite finished.

"However," she said and Steffon's head snapped up at what she would say next. "Neither have we decided to say no."

She let that sink in for a moment before continuing. "Instead, it is the wish of myself and my father that we travel to King's Landing to meet your prince for ourselves before making our decision final. I have no intention of marrying a man that I have never met or even seen before and I wish to ascertain his character for myself should I agree to bind myself to this man in marriage. After this period is complete, then I will make my decision."

Steffon hadn't been entirely expecting that, but at the moment all he could do was be happy that she hadn't said no.

"Of course your grace," he said. "The royal Targaryen court will be thrilled to receive you."

A small smile colored the princess's face and for a moment Steffon thought she was teasing him.

"We shall see," she murmured.

The king seemed to take command of the conversation again. "You may return to King's Landing to tell your king that we will be making our journey shortly Lord Baratheon.

There are some final matters of my kingdom that I need to see to before making this journey of international diplomacy."

The storm lord nodded. "Of course your grace."

It wasn't a yes but it wasn't a no either and right now, he would take it. Plus once the Gryffindors arrived in King's Landing, the onus to convince the princess to wed the king's son would shift from him to the king and the prince and the royal family itself. He would essentially be off the hook for everything going forward at this point and that was a great burden off of his shoulders.

He felt Cassana squeezing her hand and squeezed it back.

"Good," the king said getting to his feet. "This meeting is dismissed. If you have any further questions regarding our trip to King's Landing Lord Baratheon, my steward Gulian would be the person to ask."

Steffon nodded again. "Yes your grace. And thank you for the opportunity. I am sure the royal prince will meet your expectations."

Sirius Gryffindor appeared amused. "We shall see."

He said no more after that and got to his feet taking his wife and daughter's hand at the same time before they disappeared into thin air again.

It was only when they were gone that Cassana turned to her husband. "What does this mean Steffon?"

The lord of Storm's End took a deep breath. "It means that we will have to return to King's Landing and report to the king all that Sirius Gryffindor and his daughter have decided. And hope that he takes it favourably."

"Do you think he will?" Cassana asked as they left the audience chamber to return to their rooms.

"He will have to," Steffon said. "Sirius Gryffindor is a king just as he is. It is his prerogative to do this. The Targaryens are the ones who proposed this marriage. The Gryffindors essentially hold all the cards. They can do as they like."

"And that is what makes me nervous," Cassana muttered. "Too many men do as they like these days and do not consider the consequences of their actions."

Steffon chuckled. "In this case my love I think this is something that is necessary. King Sirius is being shrewd. He thinks it will be foolish to commit to a union like this without first meeting the man to whom his daughter will be connected. It is very self-aware of him that he is doing this."

"Again, you sound as if you admire this man," Cassana observed.

"I suppose I do," Steffon mused. "But at the moment my admiration for the Gryphon King is neither here nor there. We now have another task to complete. And that is to return to King's Landing and convey the wishes of House Gryffindor."

"And then?" Cassana asked.

Steffon appeared grim. "And then we pray to the gods that Aerys Targaryen is on his best behaviour when the Gryffindors do arrive. Otherwise the king may just damn us all."

Ω


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Ginny watched from her balcony as the ship bearing Steffon and Cassana Baratheon sailed slowly out of Gryphon Bay and back into open water, the sail bearing the yellow and black colors of House Baratheon waving gently in the breeze.

It had been a few days since the members of House Gryffindor had given the two Baratheons their decision and it seemed that Lord Steffon and his wife couldn't leave fast enough after that in order to return to Westeros and give King Aerys their news.

Ginny didn't know why they wished to return to the arms of a madman so soon after they had left but the night before they had departed Mereen, her father had thrown another feast in their honor.

It was a small one but Ginny had a feeling that Steffon and Cassana had appreciated the gesture and it had put them more at ease going rather than coming.

The wind blew her scarlet curls back from her shoulders and she could smell the salt in the air from her shoulders and the sun was perfectly warm on her upturned face.

 _This is it,_ she thought to herself. _Sirius and I will be leaving for Morosh to deal with Magister Ilio in the next few days and after that…we will sail to King's Landing to meet the man who may become my husband._

The thought filled her stomach with butterflies and she swallowed hard. A part of her desperately wanted what she had seen in her vision to come true, and another part was telling her not to be a fool.

On the whole, she didn't know what to think and it was rather frustrating. Fortunately she didn't have to think too much about it at the time as she and Sirius first had the problem of Morosh to deal with.

They had to first take out the corrupt leader of the port city, install a leader who would be trustworthy and then plan a royal visit to Westeros.

All of that was going to take a ridiculous amount of work.

Fortunately Gulian had already begun planning for their journey and Ginny was thankful he would be managing the pyramid and the realm in their absence.

It certainly helped that Sirius would be able to apparate back to Mereen at a moment's notice if there was something wrong.

In the event of such a problem arising, Sirius was going to leave with Gulian a small hand mirror of which he had the twin. They would be able to communicate every day and

Sirius might even be able to return to Mereen to hold court amongst those people in the city before he came back to King's Landing for whatever events the day would bring.

It was a convenient practice that would bring both the king and Ginny some peace while they were away.

And speaking of peace, Ginny could tell that Vellaena was almost as nervous about the two of them going as she was even though she was doing an excellent job of hiding it.

Of the many Creed guard that resided in the city, Sirius planned to take one hundred with them on their royal visit and leave the rest in Mereen to guard the citadel and the queen and the princes.

One of the things that Sirius and Ginny had learned about the Creed while they were living in Mereen was that they didn't actually know how many of the guard existed. The house that many of them still lived in when they were not going back and forth between the pyramid or around the city was known as the House of the Sun.

No one knew why it was called that but when Ginny had questioned Orius about its origins he had simply told her that when old Valyria had been around, it had been a glorious period of industry and culture and advancements known as the Age of the Sun. They kept the name as a way to honor those who had gone before them and to pay homage to the past.

Ginny had learned in the past two years that Essos was very big on celebrating the past and remembering their lineage.

It was rather ironic because the past was something she had been thinking a lot about too.

Despite how many times her head told her heart that she had nothing to feel guilty about for possibly meeting and even marrying someone else, there were times when she still thought of Harry and what he might think if he knew she was with someone else.

The red head knew she couldn't think like that but at the same time…it was kind of hard not to. She was glad she had spoken with Sirius about this earlier and had received his confirmation that Harry would want her to be happy even though there were times when the traitorous thoughts still surfaced in head.

Ginny knew she and Harry hadn't technically been together at the time of his death, but there had been this understanding between them that they were going to wait for each other. She had been sad when he had said they needed to cut their relationship short but she understood why he had done it and had vowed that she was going to play her part in the war effort as well.

She and Neville and some of the other Gryffindors in their year had revived Dumbledore's army and gone to work on dismantling the Death Eaters from inside Hogwarts.

Ginny had always been fiery and opinionated and she had let that drive her as she sought to protect her school from those who would do it harm.

It also helped take her mind off of her worry for Harry by allowing her to focus on something else and channel her rage.

She had had a lot of that during that year.

To a certain extent she still did.

The beautiful red head leaned her elbows against the railing on her balcony and sighed as she watched the ship bearing Steffon and Cassana Baratheon fade away into the horizon before she turned around and walked back into her chambers to ready herself for dinner with her family.

Ever since she returned from Kosrak and made her decision to travel to Westeros to meet Prince Rhaegar, she, Sirius, Vellaena and the boys had been taking their meals privately together as a family.

It had been Vellaena's idea and Ginny had a feeling the beautiful Qartheen woman wanted her to know that whatever she decided with regards to this proposal, whether it was to stay or to go, that Mereen would always be her home.

And that endeared her to Ginny all the more.

When she wasn't questioning the ramifications of such a decision, she and Sirius were talking to each other about how they were going to retake Morosh.

The plan had evolved to the point where she and Sirius were going to apparate to Morosh in the middle of the night, do away with Magister Ilio and return to Mereen to await what would happen the following day.

They had originally been planning to travel astride their dragons to Lorath and wait there, meeting with the local magister to discuss trade with him while in the night, Sirius or Ginny or both of them traveled to Morosh and slew the magister in his sleep.

But after some speculation, they had decided that wouldn't be the wisest idea as a royal visit by the king and princess to Lorath was bound to draw attention and Ilio would no doubt have learned by now that something was wrong when Khal Barbo did not send a message to him about the slaves.

The last thing they wanted to do was arouse suspicion by alerting him to the fact that they were on the move.

Ilio would no doubt have his guard up and they would need to wait for a week or so in order to ensure that the man relaxed and thought that he had got away with his life and that Barbo had no given him up.

It was also probably a better idea that Sirius dispatch him as if those remaining khals ever did made it back to Vaes Dothrak, they would no doubt have sent a messenger to him whenever they were able that the princess herself had done away with his cohort in crime.

Ilio would be snivelling like a worm by now and Sirius wanted the man to be in a false sense of security.

If he thought that Barbo had not squealed or that the princess hadn't mentioned the incident to her father than he also might have thought that would get away with his crimes of slavery.

Little did he know.

In the meantime, while Sirius was in Morosh dispatching with the pathetic magister, Ginny would be planning for the journey to Westeros.

She didn't like the idea of being left behind but Sirius had insisted on being the one to take out Ilio himself. The moment they received the messages about Morosh's magister having gone the way of the ancient Valyrians, Sirius would swoop in and be the benevolent king who would placate their fears.

It was a very Slytherin plan all the way around and Ginny had commented to her adoptive father about it with a smile. All he had done was snort and say that sometimes in order to achieve peace, someone had to play dirty.

And he was an expert in the subject.

Speaking of playing dirty, Ginny had been doing her research on Aerys Targaryen himself. She had disguised herself numerous times and gone down to the docks where some merchants were from Westeros to ask them about their king.

They had all responded in the same way.

He was a mad man whose behaviour was extremely erratic to say the least and the list went on from there.

By now it hadn't escaped the notice of the people of Essos that a royal envoy sent from Westeros had visited Mereen and rumors had been blazing like wild fire throughout the city about what he had been here for.

After Morosh was dealt with, Sirius planned to make a speech to the people regarding the royal visit to Westeros on behalf of a marriage proposal for Ginny that had been sent.

Missandei was to accompany Ginny as the red head would have no other servant that her trusted companion with her.

The idea was to pack light as well. Ginny was only taking three large trunks and Sirius the same.

If she needed something all she had to do was apparate across the Narrow Sea to Mereen to get it and she had no doubt that there were many wonderful wares in the capital of Westeros that were available for purchase as well.

On the whole she was both nervous and excited and rather jumpy about the whole thing.

But that was nothing to how she would feel when they arrived in Westeros for the first time.

Ω

A few weeks passed and the preparations to leave for Westeros passed in a blur.

A week before they were set to leave for Westeros, Ginny and Vellaena sat up in the queen and king's chambers waiting for Sirius to return from Morosh.

He had told them to go to bed and that he would be gone no more than a third of an hour, but they had refused, saying that if there was a problem and he was gone longer that

Ginny would apparate there to discover what the issue was.

He had rolled his eyes and given both his wife and his daughter a cheeky grin before he had apparated out of the room with a crack.

The first five minutes was spent in relative silence with the two women standing on the balcony of the great pyramid looking down into the bay.

The candles had been lit by the servants on the corners of the balcony ledge and the large bronze braziers in the room had been lit as well.

Because it was so warm they weren't often necessary but the marble on the chamber's floors did have a tendency to be a little cool at times.

Another minute passed before Vellaena ventured a question. The triplets were asleep in their crib across the room and she said it quietly so she wouldn't wake them.

"Are you nervous?"

Ginny cast a glance over her stepmother. "About this betrothal or the potential for it?"

Vellaena nodded and Ginny sighed. "A little. In my heart even though I'm almost eighteen I still think I'm a little young to marry."

"That's normal," the queen said. "I was like that too when I was your age. I wanted to do everything and marrying was the last thing on my mind. But if I hadn't, I never would have met your father."

"And where would we be without him?" Ginny asked with a cheeky smile, causing her stepmother to laugh.

"I daresay we'd be in a much worse place then we are now."

"Hmm."

Vellaena paused, looking as if she had more to say and Ginny gestured for her to continue. She always liked to hear what her stepmother had to say about certain matters even though Vellaena was just over a decade older than she herself was.

"While I do think that you should be wary of this proposal, I do think you need to hold off making any decisions in your heart about what to do until you meet Prince Rhaegar."

Ginny frowned at the Quartheen woman. "What do you mean?"

Vellaena smiled and took her hand. "Sometimes in the making of an important decision you might already have some idea of what you wish to do before you get all of the facts.

Whether that is a yes or a no is dependent upon the decision itself. And so even though you have not given an answer with your lips, you have already made one in your heart. And that can be dangerous because such things have the power to close you off to something that could potentially be wonderful."

Ginny nodded, all of a sudden glad that she had Vellaena as a mothering figure in her life even though her own mother had gone.

She would have been utterly confused and thought she loved her adoptive father to death, he could sometimes be biased when it came to her.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "I think it had more to do with the fact that I have two belief systems at once. My head is saying to be wary of this man, especially because of who his father is but my heart is also saying that I will never have a chance like this again and this is the way to have everything I ever wanted. But mostly I just feel useless."

Vellaena frowned. "Useless?"

Ginny sighed. "All my life I've worked hard for what I want because I knew it wasn't going to come easy to me. The world often isn't kind to women and so I was prepared to do what was necessary in order to get by. But it wasn't often that I was faced with a choice where both sides had things to consider before making a decision and they were both right."

"I can understand that," Vellaena said softly. "But remember that this is the sort of decision that you cannot make on a time limit. You've been given six months in writing and while that is usually enough time to discern the character of a person, your heart may have other ideas. Don't let your heart or your head guide you in this decision. Instead, let your will be the judge."

Ginny frowned again. "My will?"

"Yes. Make this choice based on the information that you have been given and the observations that you have made. Don't make it based on what someone else has told you because then you will be influenced. It will be hard to be completely unbiased in a decision like this, but try. It is the only way your choice will be truly honest."

Ginny smiled at her stepmother. "Thank you. I think I needed to hear that."

Vellaena squeezed her hand and pulled her a little closer to her before she wrapped her arm about the red head's shoulders. "Anytime Ginevra…but you already knew that."

Another long period of silence went by before a loud pop sounded behind the two women and a drawling voice said: "I do hope I am not interrupting another mother daughter moment."

Vellaena winked at Ginny and turned to face her husband who had just reappeared on the balcony behind them. "You just missed it my love."

Ginny smirked at her stepmother and turned to Sirius who was standing there, looking none the worse for wear with and easy expression on his face.

"I take it everything went well?" she asked.

He nodded. "The snivelling worm didn't even feel a thing. I searched his mind first because I wished to be absolutely certain of what I was about to do before I did it. The man had bought children…to use in whatever way he saw fit from Barbo."

His lip curled in disgust and Vellaena gasped quietly, her face twisted with sorrow.

Ginny's own beautiful face was a mask of rage and she almost wished she had been there so she might _crucio_ the man until he was choking on his own blood before she killed.

Child abductors and molesters were some of the worst filth to ever walk the face of the earth, both in this world and the one she had come from.

Ginny was not sorry to hear that Ilio had been removed to a place where he could never again hurt another innocent soul.

 _It's no less than what he deserves._

But it was time to let it go and she turned her face to Sirius who had put his arm around Vellaena and pulled her close to him with a sigh.

"Now what?" she asked.

He smiled at her. "Now…we retire to our rooms for the night and carry on business as usual until word of Ilio death reaches us. I do not intend to impose my reign on the people of Morosh simply for having a terrible and corrupt leader. However I have a feeling they will reach out to me regardless."

"How are you so sure?" Vellaena asked frowning.

Sirius looked a little smug. "Because before I left he magister's house that night, I decided to walk unseen down the hallway and happened to notice that one of the lights in one of the rooms was still lit. I paused outside the door and happened to hear the voice of Ilio's assistant Rio inside and sounded as if he were dictating a letter."

"Who was the letter for?" Ginny asked.

"Me," Sirius replied, his smirk growing wider. "It seems it was Rio's intent to go behind Ilio's back as the raids from the pirates are becoming worse. He was in the process of dictating a letter to his squire to send by raven to me in the dead of night as he didn't want to risk Ilio seeing it. Now he never will."

"Well that was most…fortunate," Vellaena observed. "It seems one political problem has been solved."

"Indeed. Now all we have to do is wait for those in power who have more sense than Ilio to realize his passing and come to us. From there, it will be easy."

"How long do you think it will take?" Ginny asked frowning.

"Several days at most to hear from them and if I do not, I have been meaning to respond to a request to visit Magister Arian in Qohor. I will simply fly Faebian there and perhaps gain a bit more information on our northern cities."

"How very Slytherin of you," Ginny muttered smirking at her adoptive father and he winked at her.

"But in the meantime, I also wish for you and Vellaena to prepare for the journey. Even though the queen is not accompanying us, the preparation of this expedition calls for her care and attention as well."

"Flattery my love?" Vellaena asked cheekily as she leaned up to kiss his cheek.

"Truth," Sirius returned before kissing the brunette soundly on the mouth.

Ginny smirked at the pair of them and how obviously happy they were before she drifted back into the royal chambers to kiss her brother's good night.

They were sleeping soundly in their crib and had a rather funny habit of latching on to each other's hands while they were in the throes of slumber.

Watching them, Ginny felt her throat suddenly constrict as she remembered her mother's words coming back to her about how Fred and George had done the same thing when they were babies as well in their crib. She had also said that was one of the reasons that they were so close.

She swallowed down the lump that was forming in her throat and silently slipped out of the room to her own chambers.

With an effort, Ginny shut the door and drew her own bath as she had given Missandei the evening off.

She sighed as she sank into the hot water that was already steaming and fizzing with the soap and oils that she had poured in before she had stepped into it.

A bath was sometimes the most soothing remedy for grief.

 _The memories of your family still live on in your heart. They will always be with you no matter where you go and what you do. You never have to fear losing them._

After a moment, Ginny took a shuddering breath of release and let the hot water wash away her fears and her grief.

But as she climbed into her own bed that night and drew the covers up to her chin, the last thing she thought was, _I certainly hope I am doing the right thing._

Ω

As it turned out…Sirius was right.

Two days after the king had dispatched with Ilio, a raven arrived from Morosh in the late magister's assistant's own hand, begging the king to return to the city and see to a new treaty between Morosh and the Essosi empire.

Sirius's face had given away nothing when he read it at the breakfast table to his wife and daughter and three sons but Ginny and Vellaena could see the triumph in his eyes as they skimmed over the words on the page.

It didn't take long for Sirius to take Ginny's arm and the two of them to apparate to Morosh where they might meet with Rio.

They returned an hour later with a contract drawn up and signed by them and Rio that Morosh would join the Essosi Empire without delay and thus would have soldiers to patrol their walls with the training to repel the attacks by the pirates.

In the meantime, in order to ward off attacks by the pirates on the port cities that had been happening in places like Braavos and Volantis and Myr, her father was working on a new weapon.

Of all the summers he and Harry had spent together after he had been liberated from the Dursleys, his godson had informed of some of the muggle weapons that rendered magical ones obsolete.

Ginny had heard of guns before but it wasn't until Harry informed her of what they actually did that she realized why some wizards were afraid of muggles. They could rip through a person faster than a killing curse could and were far bloodier.

Sirius wanted a weapon that was simple to use and didn't require magic to operate but that could also blow holes in the sides of ships who were attacking one of their port cities.

The closest thing they had in Essos so far was catapults. But her father wanted something that would actually tear through the hull of a ship and sink it so as to send a message to those who got ideas about raiding cities in his empire.

Ginny knew that was something she would need to see to while they were on the ship heading for Westeros.

She was familiar with the idea of cannons but she was unfamiliar with the gun powder that would be necessary to make it work.

The red head was also aware of the fact that she needed to be wary of a weapon of mass destruction being placed in the hands of those who craved power.

She had heard of wild fire and the historical ramifications of what it did to things organic and inorganic since she had come to Essos.

It was a devastating weapon that had the power to wipe out cities and keeps in a single blow and all it needed was a flame.

Still though…it was an idea that bore thinking about.

Ginny had done a little research of her own and discovered that King's Landing had had an alchemists guild in the past which had been employed to past kings tasked with a secret nature.

That was a little worrying.

 _Perhaps that's something I will need to look into when we arrive in Westeros,_ she thought to herself. _It wouldn't do to have the man who may become my future father in law in possession of something that might wipe out an entire city._

She knew she would need to be more careful than ever when dealing with this and it just showed how she and Sirius were going to need to remain united while they were on their mission of international diplomacy.

In the meantime, Vellaena and Missandei were helping Ginny with her packing for the trip to Westeros and almost all of the great pyramid was in a fervor of excitement.

Sirius had already planned to have a public meeting where he would address the people of the city that his daughter would be traveling to Westeros on the request of marriage from the king there. People were already bound to notice that he would be leaving with her anyway so he saw no point in trying to hide it and no one was fool enough to try and attack the great pyramid.

Vellaena and Missandei fortunately kept Ginny's mind occupied enough before the trip so she didn't have too much time to contemplate whether or not she was doing the right thing.

Septimus and Faebian would already be accompanying them and Ginny's pearl white dragon would be remaining in King's Landing with her for the duration of the three months she was to spend in Westeros.

The presence of the enormous white dragon would make the mad king less eager to try anything she hoped.

Ginny wasn't afraid of the man, but the last thing she wanted was an international incident where she was forced to kill a king.

Nothing could sour a marriage like that after all.

But those decisions would be made when she in fact reached the capital and met the people she was supposed to meet.

In the meantime she was trying not to worry about what was to come and simply focus on the possibilities.

Now that the conflicts with Morosh had been resolved in a rather timely fashion, Sirius felt somewhat relieved about being away from the empire for a few months.

He didn't have any intention of being away for the same amount of time as Ginny however and she had urged him that he should not be away for three months. So he was going to apparate back to Mereen every day to hold court sessions and had already informed the members of his small council and Gulian that he would be doing so which had relieved them.

With the use of apparition he might even travel back and forth between the ship and Mereen while they were making their journey across to Westeros.

So in a sense it would be like he wasn't even leaving at all.

There were times when Ginny was very thankful for magic.

The day before they were set to leave, Sirius held a court session in the audience chamber and most of the nobles from one end of the city to the other were present.

It was not a long address but he did communicate that he would be leaving Essos for a time with his daughter and leaving his steward in charge. He went on to explain that

Ginny had been offered a proposal of marriage from Prince Rhaegar Targaryen across the Narrow Sea and they were travelling to Westeros to meet with the royal family to discuss the terms of this proposal.

Naturally this put many of the other nobles out as it thoroughly dashed their slim hopes that they might still score the princess as a bride for their sons but that was neither here nor there at that point.

Sirius also went on to point out that just because he would be gone for a short time it did not mean he wouldn't be using his magic to check in on the day to day events in the city and the empire as well.

His tone hardened as he said this so all who might have rebellious thoughts were instantly quelled from their private ambitions whatever they were.

In the evening he provided Vellaena with a scrying bowl so she might contact him and placed a spell upon the water in it so that whenever she wished to speak with him all she had to do was whisper his name and he would pick up from the bowl of water on his end.

Ginny smirked at how Hermione would have told her that it was like using a long distance call on the telephone.

She had never even seen one but she imagined it worked the same way that a scrying bow would.

As it was he planned on apparating back to Mereen every morning and every evening to see how things were progressing in his kingdom especially now that Morosh had to adjust to the new leadership under magister Rio.

As the time before they were to depart for Westeros shortened, Ginny found herself pacing the floor of her room more and more as she contemplated what was ahead.

She was normally very confident but she couldn't help but feel a little nervous about what was to come.

Marriage….

Even if she didn't say yes this was a big deal and a small part of her desperately wanted this to be her happy ending.

There was still a small prick of guilt when she thought of marrying again, as if she were somehow being disloyal to Harry even though he said he wished to protect her by not being together.

She knew it was ridiculous but the beautiful red head just wished he was there in person, or a memory of him would somehow appear to tell her what she should do, or at least so she could stop feeling guilty.

On the night before they were set to leave Mereen, Ginny found herself engaging in the pacing activity once more to quell both her confusion and her nerves and Missandei caught her as she was packing some last minute things.

"You appear on edge your grace," her servant observed as she rolled up a cloak to put in Ginny's trunk. "Is something wrong?"

The red head threw a chuckle to her friend. "Am I doing the right thing Missy? I've wrestled with this decision for almost three weeks. And I'm still not sure."

"I can't tell you what to do your grace," Missandei said quietly. "But if it brings you any comfort at all, I can tell you that if you do decide to marry this prince Rhaegar you will be bringing peace both to Mereen and perhaps to Westeros too."

"But that shouldn't be all that a marriage should be based on," Ginny argued. "I don't want to go into a marriage with the idea that by sharing my power and my body with this man that somehow peace will be the only thing that I can get out of it. There should be more than that. Is it so wrong to want to be loved by the man I give myself to? I know should I choose Prince Rhaegar this will be a political marriage, nearly every match I have been offered has been. But I do want more than political stability to come from my potential union."

Missandei looked as if she was thinking rather hard. "If I may speak freely your grace?"

"Please."

Missandei paused as she was folding the cloak and got a far away look in her eyes. "I've never been married myself your grace, but I do know that in order make a marriage a wonderful and good thing as it should be…there needs to be work put in. Your royal father and mother have a relationship that is the envy of many but it was also not something that came easy for them either. They have their share of disagreements but they always make sure to listen and to respect each other in them. And that is why they love each other so much. Your royal father is a kind and generous man as well as a king and he has somehow managed to be both a man and a ruler which is something that many lords and nobles don't know how to do. They either think they must be men to their wives or rulers to their people. There is no balance and the reason that your royal parents are the envy of many is because they have found that balance. I suppose I am saying that if this is something you know in your heart that you wish to work…then effort will need to be put in to do so. And if Prince Rhaegar wishes for this marriage to work as well then he will see the effort you are putting in and work hard for your relationship as well."

Ginny stared at her servant and friend in shock. It was the longest speech Missandei had ever given and she had no idea that the servant from Astapor had observed so much about her family.

"And if he does not want it to work?" she asked quietly.

"Then you will know in the three months that you spend in the capital and you will then decline his offer of marriage." Missandei smiled at her. "You are a strong and capable woman your grace. But more than that I have seen that you trust both your heart and your head when it comes to making a decision. You too have found a balance that others of your station often don't. People think that the heart and the head are in constant conflict with each other and while that is often true, it is not so for all things. When the two work together…it is then that the best decisions are made."

Ginny smiled at her servant, both shocked to her core and impressed that Missandei had managed to analyze her so much in the two years that she had lived with them.

"Thank you Missy," she said softly. "I think I needed to hear that."

Ω

 _When the red head opened her eyes again, she was surprised to find that she was standing in the living room of the Burrow.  
_

 _Everything was just the way she remembered it, the fireplace was still blazing and the charming mismatched furniture was still strewn about the room as if the inhabitants using it had just left. The air was warm from the dying fire and there was the faint smell of wood smoke on the air.  
_

 _The sun was shining brightly outside of the window and Ginny remembered the last time she had been in this room when the sun was shining.  
_

 _It was the time Harry had said goodbye to her.  
_

 _"Hey Gin."  
_

 _The red head whirled about and let out a gasp when she saw who was standing behind her.  
_

 _He looked no different than the last time she had seen him but there was a light shining in his green eyes that hadn't been there before. He stood taller, there was no scar on his forehead and the pale pallor of his cheeks and face had faded to a lovely olive tone that betrayed he was now healthy again.  
_

 _And his green eyes as he looked at her….she had never seen him direct a look that soft towards anyone.  
_

 _"Harry," she whispered.  
_

 _He smiled at her, it almost dazzled her for how bright it was and opened his arms towards her._

 _Ginny didn't hesitate to run into them and the moment his arms enclosed her she began to tremble with her eyes stinging with tears.  
_

 _Harry soothingly rubbed his hands up and down her back without saying anything and he didn't have to. It was enough that he was here and she could see him with her own eyes. Ginny took a deep breath and buried her face in his chest, inhaling the scent of him. He smelled familiar…like home and didn't look like the last time she had seen him,_ _with his face pale, blood on his cheeks and ashes in his hair, eyes wide with fear and grief._

 _He looked…happy…at peace.  
_

 _"I missed you Gin," he whispered into her fiery hair and she held him tighter. "I missed you too…so much."  
_

 _After a moment, he pulled back and took her face in his hands so he could look into her deep blue eyes. "You look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you. But you've always been beautiful. Are you happy?"  
_

 _Ginny sniffed and scrubbed furiously at her eyes. "I'm trying to be. It's hard sometimes because it isn't the same as before. I miss you…I miss all of you."  
_

 _He kissed her forehead and took her hands. "I know, I miss you too. We all do."  
_

 _Ginny's eyes widened exponentially until they looked like two pools in her face. "You're all together? But where are you?"  
_

 _Harry smiled and it was one of complete contentment. "We're all in a better place now Gin. We're where we're supposed to be. It's beautiful here and everyone is so happy. We were concerned about you…but then we all saw how well you were doing in your new life and we're so proud of you. I'm so proud of you."  
_

 _His words just made the tears come faster. "It's not the same though. Somehow I don't feel whole anymore without you…without all of you. As happy as I am in Essos, something has always been missing."  
_

 _Harry raised the hands he was holding to his mouth and kissed them gently. "And we miss you too. But I want you to be happy Ginny Weasley…or is it Ginevra Gryffindor now?"  
_

 _Ginny made a sound that was between a laugh and a sob. "Ginny Weasley was the girl that couldn't save her family. So I am Ginevra Gryffindor now…someone who can make a difference in the world she lives in."  
_

 _Harry's eyes were shining with pride. "And that's all you've ever wanted to do…make a difference. It was what made me love you. It's what makes me still love you."  
_

 _Ginny closed her eyes. "I love you too."  
_

 _Harry led her to the couch and sat the both of them down on it. As Ginny sunk into the sofa she smelled the familiar scent of home baking that had somehow attached itself to the pillows after living for a lifetime in the Weasley Household where Molly Weasley made such delicious things to eat.  
_

 _Ginny rested her head against Harry's chest and felt his arms enclose her into a sweet embrace that almost made her want to start crying again.  
_

 _"But now," Harry said softly. "It's time for me to step aside and allow someone else to love you the way you should be loved."  
_

 _Ginny raised her blue eyes to his not sure she had heard him correctly. "What?"  
_

 _Harry took her face in his hands. "You deserve to be happy Gin and I don't want you to spend the rest of your life wishing for the past when the future for you is so bright and so promising. I want you to experience it all. And above all else, I don't want you to miss all the things that someone else could give you."  
_

 _Ginny felt tears sliding down her cheeks and knew he was letting her go, setting her free for the second time. "I don't want to forget."  
_

 _"Then don't," Harry whispered. "I never will. But not forgetting does not mean that you wrap yourself up in a cocoon and refuse to feel or love ever again. There are people_ _waiting to love you Ginny. Don't disappoint them."_

 _She swallowed hard. "And what if I can't?"  
_

 _He smiled at her before kissing her on the forehead. "You will. You don't give yourself nearly enough credit. You Ginny Weasley have the greatest capacity for love of anyone I have ever known. And I'm so glad I got to know you and love you for the time that I had."  
_

 _By now the tears were coming thick and fast and Ginny could barely see Harry through the blurry film that had fallen over her eyes.  
_

 _He reached out his hands and gently wiped away the salty tears on her cheeks with his fingers, as gently as if a butterflies wings had brushed against her skin. "Don't cry."  
_

 _Ginny took a deep shuddering breath and scrubbed at her eyes again. She didn't want to spend whatever moment she had with Harry lost in grief about the past. She wanted to appreciate what was happening now.  
_

 _She knew it wouldn't be long before he said goodbye again.  
_

 _"You say that like it's so easy," she murmured, somehow choking out a laugh.  
_

 _Harry chuckled deep in his throat. "It's not. Loving someone can hurt. But in the end, it's really the only thing that's going to make you feel alive again. You're as happy as you're going to get in Mereen Ginny, and I think deep down you know that. You deserve to be loved by someone who can and who will do so fiercely. But more important than that, you deserve to love too. And loving someone else is the only way you're going to fully heal. It'll become easier with time, but in order to get there you need to open up_ _your heart to the way it was before we all died."_

 _"I'm not sure if I can do that," Ginny whispered. She was trembling slightly and she didn't know why.  
_

 _"Yes you can," Harry whispered. "And I think you know you can too, you're just afraid. And that's alright. It's alright to be afraid. But you can't let that stop you Gin. You deserve to be loved by someone who sees the fierce, passionate, amazing woman you are. You and I and our friends and all the rest of the family made a wonderful memory that will never be forgotten. But it's time you go and make a new one."  
_

 _"How do you have so much confidence in me?" Ginny asked. Her entire life she had been described as fiery and passionate but now…now she just felt small and afraid. "I'm not the person I was before."  
_

 _Harry smiled at her again and it was like sunshine. "No you're not…you're someone better."  
_

 _It was like a dam had broken open then and Ginny felt her face crumple as she felt the full weight of her grief bear down upon her like a storm.  
_

 _Harry held her to his chest and let her cry it all out.  
_

 _After what seemed like an hour had passed, Ginny slowly raised her eyes, knowing she must look a mess, but Harry still looked at her as if he thought she were the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.  
_

 _"It's alright to be scared Gin, but you are someone who's always been stronger than your fear. The person who took on Death Eaters and restarted Dumbledore's Army when I was gone is now a grown woman who frees slaves and fights every day for what she thinks is right. That's the kind of woman you are Gin and that's the kind of person who should be loved as fiercely as a storm."  
_

 _"I don't know that there's someone like that anymore," Ginny whispered looking up into Harry's beloved face.  
_

 _He smiled at her again, the same smile when he knew something. "Yes you do. You saw a glimpse of it two years ago."  
_

 _With a start, Ginny realized he was talking about the vision she had had about the man with the silvery blonde hair and the child and felt her face redden. "How…How do know that?"  
_

 _Harry smiled again and shrugged. "There's not much that's hidden from us here."  
_

 _"So…So you think I should go?"  
_

 _He winked at her. "I think you already know what you're going to do. You're going to do what your heart tells you…just like you've always done."  
_

 _Ginny frowned at him. "But what about my head?"  
_

 _Harry chuckled. "If you go, you just might find that your head agrees with your heart."  
_

 _"I…I don't know."  
_

 _Harry took her hands again so she was forced to look into his eyes. "I think you do. You've always known."  
_

 _It was then that he got to his feet pulling her with him and she realized with dismay that it must be time for him to go.  
_

 _"I don't want to say goodbye," she whispered.  
_

 _Harry gently brushed his fingers across her cheek. "It's not goodbye. We'll see each other again…but it's not time yet."  
_

 _Ginny looked around the room, wishing she could stay in that familiar family room for one moment longer.  
_

 _Time was frozen here and her heart would never be broken again if she remained. "I'm afraid."  
_

 _"What are you afraid of?"  
_

 _"I'm afraid I'm going to be hurt again. I'm afraid this is all too good to be true and I'll never be as happy as I was when I was with you. I'm afraid to feel."  
_

 _"But feeling is the only way you'll know," Harry whispered. "Open yourself up again Ginny and I promise you won't be disappointed."  
_

 _"How do you know?"  
_

 _His smile turned to a smirk. "Because I know you. You fight hard and if you want this…then you will be happy. And I think deep down you know you will."  
_

 _Ginny had nothing to say to that.  
_

 _"Give Sirius a hug for me will you?" he asked. "I'm glad to see he's found love and is now a father. I knew he would be a good one. I'm glad the both of you have each other."  
_

 _Ginny nodded and looked down at her hands that were clenched in his tightly, afraid to look up at him.  
_

 _She had no choice however when Harry placed his hand under her chin and raised it so she could see that his green eyes were shining with tenderness.  
_

 _She felt a lump gather in her throat.  
_

 _"We'll always be with you Gin," Harry continued. "Never forget that."  
_

 _She shook her head. "I won't."  
_

 _He smiled at her and it was once more like sunshine. "I love you Ginny Weasley. I always will. But now it's your turn. Go. Go love and be loved by someone else."_

Ω

Ginny stood at the back of the ship as it slowly sailed out of Gryphon Bay towards the open water and away from Mereen.

She glimpsed the crowd of people standing on the shore and all cheering as the king and princess sailed away to Westeros. The proud black sail bearing the golden gryphon of their house waved and snapped in the breeze.

Five other ships were traveling with them and all of them bore the hybrid animal of their house.

Septimus and Faebian were flying slightly ahead of them and Ginny smiled at the sight of the bronze and pearl dragons flying side by side.

She felt a hand on the small of her back and looked up to see Sirius standing beside her with a concerned look on his face. "Are you alight?"

Her adoptive father looked even more like a king than he ever had before and with his black robes edges in golden thread and tailored to perfection which highlighted every plain of his body, Ginny could certainly see why Vellaena had fallen for him.

His crown that he wore on his brow was different than the one he usually wore when he was at court. This crown, while also made of Sunsteel unlike the other one was more suited to be worn into battle as a helm. It was a band of gold about the width of one's finger and there were wings on this one as well. However there were only two golden gryphon wings on this crown and they were laid against the band of the crown sideways so it almost looked as if the ornaments were fanned back against the sides of his head.

It was a much fiercer looking piece and appeared more like a helm of a conquering king.

Which of course Sirius was.

"I'm fine," Ginny said softly. "A little nervous but otherwise alright."

She had told him about her dream that she had had the night before and what Harry had told her to say to Sirius.

The red head hadn't shared everything as some of it was only meant for her ears, but it was enough to see the look on Sirius's face when she told him. His face had softened exponentially and his dark had appeared glassy for a moment before she pulled her into a tight hug and they had just held each other for a moment.

Fortunately no one had seen.

They had already said their goodbyes to Vellaena and triplets on the shore line as Sirius had insisted that two hundred of the Creed guard remain behind to guard both the queen and the princes as well as the pyramid.

Sirius and Ginny were taking one hundred of Creed with them and the Unsullied were remaining behind in Mereen.

He had exchanged words with Magister Rio that morning before he left and the magister had been profuse in his gratefulness to Sirius about sending one thousand Unsullied to Morosh to guard the walls of the city.

One of the Creed, a man by the name of Daerion was leading them and Sirius had also left the man in possession of a scrying bowl as he intended to visit Morosh even while he was in King's Landing.

It was a bold move going back and forth between three cities while his daughter was being courted by the prince, but Sirius didn't intend to give his enemies any reason to think that just because he was gone they would be able to attack a vulnerable empire.

He didn't have the restrictions on him of distance and transportation so he could go wherever he wanted whenever he wanted and no one would be able to stop him.

Not even Aerys Targaryen.

Sirius had received word that Steffon Baratheon had arrived in King's Landing a few days earlier and no doubt had conveyed the words that the Gryphon King had spoken to him.

The king chuckled wondering how Aerys Targaryen would take it but then turned his attention to his daughter standing beside him.

Ginny for her part was looking the part of a Valyrian princess and every inch the Gryffindor she had been in her first life and her second.

She was attired in a golden gown that bared her arms and had a plunging neckline as was the style with an open back. Her black cloak with the golden sigil of their house was resting on her shoulders and attached to her arms with golden laces on her biceps.

He was wearing a cloak of a similar nature but his was fastened about the throat with a large girl pin.

Missandei had brushed Ginny's blood red curls to the side of her head and fastened them in place with a golden pin fashioned in the shape of a gryphon.

The smile that she had been wearing on her face as she waved farewell to Mereen had turned to one of grim sobriety as she and her father walked towards the prow of the ship to face the open water.

All around them, sailors were running to and fro, climbing up and down the rigging and fastening things to the side of the ship so they would not come loose. The captain was barking orders to the sailors around him and the captain of the Creed guard, Orius and the six others who were responsible for Sirius and Ginny's personal well-being were standing at the stern of the ship, staring straight ahead with their hands behind their backs and feet shoulder width apart.

Ginny and Sirius had no need of them at the time as they were on a ship sailed by a merchant captain that Sirius had known since his merchant days.

The wind was blowing the salty breeze into their faces and the air was cool with the scents of dawn and early more mist was rising from the waters of Gryphon Bay.

Ginny heard shouts from the sailors tossing lines to one another, the sail was being unfurled so it would catch the morning air and with the wind caught in its thick linens, the ship lurched forward into open water.

The red head grasped the railing to keep from falling and felt her father's steadying hand on the small of her back. He sent her a knowing smile which she returned. He had commented to her the other day that it might take her a while to obtain her sea legs because being on the deck of a ship was infinitely different than being on land. One had to become used to always being slightly off balance and adjusting their weight to the swaying of the waves. Being a merchant before he had conquered Qarth, Sirius had sailed on many ships and was familiar with both the length of time their passage would take them along with what they might see on the way.

It would take them nearly two moons to reach Westeros and Ginny could already feel her stomach settling into a knot of anticipation about it.

But these nerves were different than the ones she had had before.

After the she had had her heart wrenching dream about Harry, Ginny had awoken in the middle of the night sobbing her heart out. Her tears hadn't stopped for almost an hour and after that she had felt exhausted but unable to sleep.

Sometimes before the dawn she had drifted into a fitful slumber and awakened only when Missandei called her, letting her know that it was time to leave.

When the beautiful red head had opened her eyes for the second time however she had felt…different.

Her heart was lighter and she felt strangely cleansed as if she had been holding on to something that was too heavy for her and she had let it go. That was when she realized that she was doing the right thing, not only because of what Harry told her but because of the feeling she got when she let go of the past.

Her memories were still there and her love for the people she had left behind, but her grief was gone and she felt a subtle joy in her heart because she knew she was doing what her family and Harry would have wanted.

They would have wanted her to be happy.

And at the end of the day, Ginny wanted to be happy too.

So she had boarded the ship with her adoptive father to sail to Westeros and hopefully towards that happiness.

Her earlier confusion about whether or not she was doing the right thing had gone and she felt an utter surety in her heart that could not be overruled.

And thus the journey had begun.

Sirius had appeared every inch the grim and sober king the moment Mereen had disappeared and Ginny could tell he was worried about her stepmother and brothers.

"They'll be alright," She said quietly taking his hand and squeezing it. "We'll check back in with them every day and Vellaena knows how to run the city. Peace is on Morosh with the Unsullied on the city walls and the empire is calm. I don't think anyone is foolish enough to try and stage another coup after what happened with the Sorrowful and Faceless men several months ago."

He smirked at her. "I do think perhaps its time we take the skeletons of those poor bastards down from the city walls. In the midday sun they cast long shadows and make people nervous."

Ginny smiled lazily. "It simply serves as another reminder of what we do to our enemies and those who practice evil."

Sirius chuckled deep in his throat but otherwise said no more.

Ginny leaned against the prow of the ship and released a deep sigh as she stared into the distant horizon. It was still early morning and the winds were favorable. The clouds on the horizon ahead of her were a beautiful pink, blue and gold color and she could tell that it was going to be a lovely day.

Hopefully they would experience no storms on their way west but if they did, Ginny and Sirius were well prepared to deal with those eventualities.

There were no more storms in Ginny's own heart however.

She glanced up towards the cloudless heavens above her and closed her eyes before smiling, wondering if Harry and her family were watching.

 _You're right Harry,_ she thought to herself. _But then you always seemed to be right didn't you?_

She felt Sirius squeeze her hand and smiled at him when she opened her eyes.

"Are you alright sweetheart?" her adoptive father asked and she smiled again before nodding. "I think I'm more alright then I've been in a long time."

Ω

 _One month later…._

Rhaegar Targaryen was nervous.

He had been nervous for a long time.

He didn't look it, but perhaps that was because he had perfected the art of keeping an expressionless face a long time ago.

In truth he didn't know when it had started. Perhaps it was when Lord Varys had informed him and the rest of the small council about the emergence of House Gryffindor, a family of powerful sorcerers.

Perhaps it was when Lord Varys had suggested to his father the possibility of this marriage between himself and Princess Ginevra Gryffindor that it had first set in.

It might have been when his father's cousin had set off across the Narrow Sea to meet with the Gryffindors and discuss this marriage.

Or perhaps it was when said cousin had returned several weeks ago and informed the Targaryens that instead of giving him a yes or no answer that the Gryffindors were choosing to come to Westeros personally and see him for themselves with their own eyes.

That was when he knew the pressure had begun to set in.

He was becoming older and was nearing his nineteenth name day and knew he would need to marry soon. But if he were personally asked, Rhaegar would say it wasn't something he was looking forward to, necessary as it might be.

For him it meant the loss of a lot of his freedom and that was something he relished as it allowed him to get away from his father.

Aerys had never harmed him personally as Rhaegar knew he was too important to the king and the future of House Targaryen, but that didn't stop the mad king from abusing his mother and somehow Rhaegar was never around when it happened.

Aerys was clever enough to wait until his son was away for whatever reason or another on some sort of business and then when the prince returned he would see the bruises.

Rhaegar had lost count of how many times he had planned the way in which he would take his father's life for what he had done to his mother. Simply wrapping his hands around his throat and wringing the breath from his lungs wasn't enough. But if it made the monster stop breathing and stop issuing insane commands, perhaps it was something he could deal with.

But he couldn't be allowed to sit on the throne for much longer whether he was alive or dead.

It was too dangerous.

His mother had privately informed him that she was expecting another child and the crown prince knew that nothing could be allowed to go wrong with this pregnancy as she had had so many miscarriages throughout her life that it was concerning.

As it was, the maesters had been concerned that the queen wouldn't be able to have children after the birth of Viserys.

His father had done a number on her then as he had been obsessed with the prophecy of Aegon, Rhaenys and Visenya and had wanted a daughter in place of the son.

But so far his mother hadn't had any more children and Viserys was only three which had the Targaryen line hanging on by a thread. Privately Rhaegar hoped that this pregnancy would result in twins or even triplets perhaps as the dragon bloodline needed all the help he could get.

Even since he had been a small child, Rhaegar knew that a lot had been riding on his shoulders. Being king was stressful enough in itself but now he thought he would gladly shoulder whatever responsibilities there were if only it would get his father off the throne and in a crypt or the cell he deserved for the atrocities he had committed.

Already the small council was looking to him to see what he would do whenever he sat in meetings with them as half the time his father couldn't be bothered.

But since the knowledge that the Free Cities had been united under one banner had been touted to them and Steffon Baratheon had been sent overseas, his father had been rather…odd. Far more so than usual and Rhaegar could only shudder at what that meant.

As soon as Aerys had heard the name of Gryffindor and knew it to be an ancient Valyrian name, he had worked himself into nearly a frenzy over the past several weeks that

Steffon had been gone and Rhaegar could often hear himself muttering about fire and blood and magic and dragons to himself when he thought he was alone.

The only good news in this whole strange affair was the fact that Aerys had been so obsessed with the Gryffindors that it was like Rhaella didn't even exist.

His mother had had time to rest and recuperate from her advancing pregnancy and Rhaegar had taken on some of the stress of ensuring his father stayed away from her.

He needn't have worried however because his father had spent nearly every waking moment of the last few moons since they had learned of the Gryphon king in the royal library trying to learn everything he could about the Gryffindor line.

Rhaegar had been curious himself and whenever his father left the library he had gone over to see what the king had been reading and to do a little research himself.

What he found was both intriguing and somewhat alarming.

He knew that the Gryffindors didn't possess traditional Valyrian looks as in order to survive after the Doom, they had gone into hiding in Essos, changing their names and marrying into the fallen Ghiscari peoples in order to keep their lines alive.

Because of the intermingling of blood, the prominent blood red hair that was so characteristic of their line became less and less common.

But if what they had been told from Lord Varys was any indication, all of the royal children had inherited the Gryffindor looks.

He glanced down at his father beside him who was sitting on the throne, tapping the armrest of the chair absently while he looked greedily around at the nobles who had gathered in the throne room.

A servant had just informed the king that guards on the city wall had glimpsed ships bearing the black and gold banner of House Gryffindor and that they would be in the city in no more than two hours. And if the eyes of the guards on the wall had been correct than flying above the ship were two dragons they had brought with them.

The king had appeared as though he had had an insane sugar rush when he heard that.

Aerys had wasted no time in gathering all of the subjects together and Rhaegar knew it was to make a show of what he believed to be House Targaryen's triumph.

He just hoped that this would not be a note signalling their destruction along with it.

He had heard of the great power of Sirius and Ginevra Gryffindor and knew that that sort of magic was something his father would kill for.

But Rhaegar was more concerned about a war beginning between Essos and Westeros should the Gryffindors refuse his marriage proposal. He knew King Sirius wouldn't take kindly to the fact that Aerys might try to make his daughter a prisoner in this place if she refused to marry him and would no doubt slay the dragon king with his magic before any of the Kingsguard would be able to do anything about it.

He couldn't exactly say that that prospect didn't lend some relief to his countenance because it meant that peace would once more be achieved. As it was, Tywin Lannister was still on their side, but if Aerys kept up his erratic behaviour there was no telling how long that would last for.

His father didn't see it, but Rhaegar knew what a powerful enemy the Old Lion could be and he was trying his best to keep on good relations with the man even though he was glad his father hadn't chosen Cersei Lannister to be the next queen.

She was only fourteen after all but gods knew Rhaegar had met her once and couldn't stand her. Her desire for power was insatiable and he would no doubt have abdicated the throne and fled the country had she been his queen.

Although he did recall a saying his mother had said a long time ago when he asked her why she hadn't left the keep when she was younger and forced to marry Aerys.

 _The devil that you know is sometimes better than the angel that you don't._

Rhaegar barely suppressed a snort as he remembered this. _Whoever came up with that ludicrous saying had obviously never met Cersei Lannister_

All in all it had been a rather tense time in the keep as he had tried to think and prepare for every eventuality that might arise.

Westeros could not afford a war which was what his father would surely wish to wage if the Gryffindors did not agree to this request.

Rhaegar had been so busy thinking about this that he had barely had time to ponder Ginevra Gryffindor herself.

Steffon Baratheon had described her as the most beautiful woman he had ever seen which had piqued the prince's curiosity a bit.

Steffon had also said that King Sirius prized his eldest and only daughter very highly and was not keen to give her to a man that he had never met.

Which was another cause for nerves.

His ran a hand through his platinum hair and glanced at his mother who was standing on the other side of the throne, her hands on her expanding stomach protectively. She shot him an encouraging smile and he returned it before staring straight ahead.

"Remember this day my son," Aerys said in a gruff whisper so that only the prince and the queen could hear them.

"It is a good day father," the prince replied in that monotone voice he often used when addressing the king in public.

"Good? Nay, it is a historic day and all gathered will witness my triumph when I succeed in uniting the last two ancient Valyrian Houses in marriage."

He chuckled gleefully to himself and Rhaegar was hard pressed to keep from wincing. He wasn't as convinced as his father that the Gryffindors would agree to this marriage but he held his tongue.

It was better for Aerys to be gleeful after all than in a rage.

They were all damned if that happened.

He set his eyes on the doors again which would be opening before long.

Outside, the entire city had lined the streets to welcome the foreign king and princess and Aerys had sent Steffon down to the harbor with some of the royal guard to greet them when they arrived.

All the while though Rhaegar could hear his father muttering gleefully to himself.

"Fire and blood and magic. My descendants will rule over a dynasty to last a thousand years and with the might of the dragons it will be as though Aegon and Rhaenys and Visenya have come again. Yes, yes this is a historic day."

Rhaegar swallowed hard and tamped down on his growing unease.

 _I wish I were as confident as you are father. By the end of this day, I will have some idea of how the future will be forged. Whether that will be through marriage or war well…that is not in my hands. It will be on those of the people who walk through that door and how you decide to deal with them. You may perhaps be right about fire and blood but you may have it rain down on your own head before this is all over. And should that be the case…I will not save you. You may have your fire and blood…but it will be the last thing you will ever see._

Ω

 **So I had thought to include the meeting between the Gryffindors and Targaryens in this chapter, but it was already over twenty pages as it was so I figured that was enough. It will definitely be in the next chapter so stay tuned for that. Also, a small piece of business which I changed in chapter nine for those you that will notice that refer to it in this chapter. In chapter nine I said that the triplets had black hair and brown eyes as a mix of their father and mother. However, in that chapter and now in this one, I have changed it so they now have red hair and blue eyes like Ginny. There is a reason for this change which will be explained later. In the meantime, stay tuned for the next chapter, don't forget to review and happy reading everyone!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Ginny had been standing at the prow of the ship, the _Golden Queen_ since the shoreline of Westeros had come into view nearly an hour ago.

She had been nervous nearly the entire journey about what she was going to find when she reached the capital of Westeros and now that she was so close to discovery, she could feel her heart beginning to speed up.

It was one thing to be on the other side of the Narrow Sea and know something like this was coming and it was another thing completely to be within walking distance of the man she might have seen in her dreams and might be marrying.

Ginny had gone back and forth between nerves and confidence so much on the trip west that she almost thought she was going bipolar.

Thankfully Sirius had been the picture of calm and whenever she had been nervous he had an innate way of always knowing.

Ginny had developed a very good poker face when she had still been in her first life and had to keep the news of Dumbledore's Army's rebirth a secret from the Death Eaters.

She had a high pain tolerance because of the many times she had been cursed in the so called Defense Against the Dark Arts classes and she had conditioned herself to be the picture of utter confidence and leadership because it had literally been her and Neville and Luna who had been leading the charge against the Death Eaters in the school.

Perhaps that was why she had a talent for being a princess.

Maybe that was why she was thriving in this new life.

As the coastline of the city neared, both the king and the princess were standing in the prow of the ship, watching as the capital came into view.

The first thing the pair of them had noticed was that it was nowhere near as beautiful as Mereen. Perhaps that was simply because due to the work of Vellaena, the beautification of the capital of the Essosi Empire had been greatly improved over the last two years.

It was a sun drenched day as the capital of Westeros was experiencing a period of summer and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The city itself appeared to be on the edge of a peninsula from the rest of the land and reminded Ginny of one of those small eastern European cities she had seen with her parents when she was younger.

They had come across a small uninhabited island about an hour back where Faebian and Septimus had been left as bringing both dragons to the city would be a bit of an inconvenience at this time.

Ginny had also no intention of leaving the beasts in the fabled Dragon pit in the city because King Aerys would no doubt try and seek to control them there. Both of them would wait for her and Sirius's call.

The first thing that hit Ginny was the smell as soon as they entered what was known as Black Water Bay.

It was as if the full scent of a sewer that hadn't been properly cleaned in years came at her with the force of the Hogwarts Express as it had chugged toward school every year.

Sirius curled his lower lip in disgust and Ginny raised the hem of her black cloak to her mouth. "God's, what is that appalling stench?"

"T'is the water your grace," one of the sailors who was tying down one of the crates next to her said. He paused in his task and bowed to them slightly. "Black Water is known for its smells because it's thought to collect all of the run off from the city pipes, especially those of Flea Bottom who don't have proper drainage."

Sirius and Ginny exchanged horrified looks before turning to look at the water below the ship.

It did appear to be darker than normal water and was nothing compared to the beautiful sapphire shade of Gryphon Bay.

 _I can see where it gets its name,_ the red head thought grimly to herself.

"Can nothing be done to see that the city has proper drainage and pipes?" Sirius asked the sailor and the other man shook his head.

"Those nobles in the city have other things to worry about than the poor and the stink in the air is just something they have to deal with. No one really cares about the drainage here and the ones who have to handle it the most are the poor in Flea Bottom. For the nobles who never go down there, it usually follows the standard out of out of sight, out of mind."

Ginny was as appalled as when she had learned that there were no such things as hospitals in Essos.

To have people living in conditions like this without a care in the world…it was beyond criminal.

Her blue eyed gaze turned fierce until she felt Sirius take hold of her hand and squeeze it. "Easy Gin, you're not a queen yet so put any notion of solving the sewer problems in this city to the side for now."

The red head nodded and with an effort, focused on the city that was rapidly coming into view.

Again, it was nowhere near as beautiful as Mereen but perhaps that was simply because she was biased.

The streets that she could see from this distance were lined with curious people who had no doubt come to see the arrival of the foreign king and princess and Ginny could see that the stones beneath their feet were cobbled and there were small alleyways going down every main street. The houses themselves were made of an almost sun toasted sandstone color and were always two stories high. Some had metal roofing and others were made of beams but almost all of the ones near the harbor that she could see looked rather dilapidated and run down looking.

"Is that Flea Bottom?" she asked pointing.

The sailor raised a hand to cover his eyes and squinted against the sun. "Aye your grace. That is the poorest region in this city."

"It certainly lives up to its name," Ginny muttered under her breath and Sirius hummed deep in his throat in agreement.

The closer the current drew them towards the city, Ginny turned her attention to the castle on the peninsula at the edge of the city in the bay known as the Red Keep. That too lived up to its name with it characteristic red stones and three high towers. The keep itself seemed to be surrounded by very high walls in some places and in others, particularly the ones that were on the water were lowered so people had access to the bay.

Although Ginny had no idea who would want to swim in that water given what she had learned about it.

The main part of the keep seemed to be nestled against the wall at the far end of the peninsula and the part where one entered through the gates seemed to inhabit gardens or courtyard areas that were there for the elites to enjoy.

Ginny was more than a little irritated by that as well.

She knew what it was like to grow up wanting. She had watched her mother work hard to keep food on the table and clothes on the backs of her and her brothers. She had seen her father work like a dog to make ends meet so she knew exactly what it was like to be poor.

Granted she had never been as worse off as some of the households she was seeing in Flea Bottom but the principle was still the same. She had not been part of the elites and it had only been her blood that had allowed her to even be part of the pureblood discussion.

Sirius leaned over and whispered in her ear. "There will be time to discuss the poor contingent of the city later. For now let's simply focus on the task at hand. Observation."

She nodded.

The city was rapidly approaching now and they were being propelled forwards by a stiff breeze.

Another thing Ginny noticed was that it was somewhat cooler in Westeros than it was in Mereen, not by much but enough that she was able to notice the difference.

The air also didn't smell nearly as sweet and was tempered with the accent of sewage that was heavy on the air.

"Hoods up Gin," Sirius whispered to her as he pulled the head covering of his own black cloak up to disguise his face. She nodded and did the same so her visage was completely cloaked in shadow.

Keeping what they looked like hidden until they reached the keep and stood before the king only added to the mystery and at the moment, Sirius and Ginny wanted to have every advantage possible before going into this nest of vipers.

There were always ambitious people everywhere and Sirius had had to deal with them on his own council. The difference this time however was that he knew no one here and judging from what Steffon Baratheon had told him about the king and his Hand Tywin Lannister before he left, Sirius was right to keep his guard up.

He and Ginny were very aware that should they say yes to this marriage that there would be people who would try and use her here too.

There had been people like that in Mereen as well but she knew how to deal with them there. Westeros was an entirely new political system that she was going to have to learn the ins and outs of if she was going to be here for the next three months.

It seemed a daunting task but she was determined she would be successful.

Plus she had the advantage of seeing into their minds, something which she was certain that many people here didn't know. They would know of her magic to be sure but they would not know that she could reach into their minds and exploit their thoughts.

In this way, the amount of threats she might face here would be enormously compounded.

The sun was shining brightly on the water and there was a cool breeze blowing which took an edge off the heat though it wasn't nearly as hot as it was in Mereen.

Ginny could see that an enormous crowd had gathered down near the harbor and that a space had been created which led to the streets and this space was formed on both sides by soldiers that had no doubt been sent by the king.

She recognized the golden armor that was so characteristic of what she had been told the Kingsguard wore along with the white cloaks and the odd helms they wore upon their heads.

While they drew near to the city, Orius and the rest of the Creed guard that were aboard the ship with them had come down from the stern of the ship behind the helm and assembled in a semi-circle around Sirius and Ginny.

"It would appear that all of the city has turned out to welcome your arrival your grace," Orius said quietly from his place behind Sirius.

"Indeed," the gryphon king smirked. "It seems that word of our reputations has reached not only the ears of the nobles Ginny."

"So it would seem," the red head said quietly. "Although I do hope what they've heard has been favorable. The last thing I want to go into is a hostile environment."

"I have a feeling that might be part of this situation whether you wish it or not your grace," Gavreen who was on her left side said.

"Aye, the place looks to be a den of vipers," Visrael added with some distaste.

The members of their guard all had their hoods up and on their backs they bore the same black cloaks that the king and princess were wearing to disguise their faces, along with the sigil of the golden gryphon on their backs but they were not as long. The two swords were strapped to each of their backs along with the metal bracers on their arms from wrists to elbows that had a hidden mechanism that released the blades in them on both sides. There were two long daggers in hilts that were strapped to their legs along with the peculiar sort of chainmail they were wearing.

The belts that the Creed wore about their waists were covered with very thin, very sharp circular disks that could be used to throw at an enemy.

Needless to say their version of the Kingsguard didn't use half measures.

Ginny squinted at the harbor and caught sight of a familiar figure. "I believe I see Lord Baratheon father."

Sirius looked toward where she was nodding her head and saw the man in question down on the dock in the black and yellow cloak of his house colors, his long black hair whipping in the wind.

"So it is," her adoptive father replied. "It seems King Aerys is doing what he can to make us feel comfortable by sending a familiar face. How…gracious of him."

The sarcasm that was thinly veiled was noticeable by both Ginny and the guard because the red head could have sworn she saw a white flash of a smile beneath Orius's hood.

"Well," Ginny mused. "I would rather have Lord Steffon show me about the city as opposed to some lord who is more concerned with how they can use us to benefit the realm or themselves for that matter."

Sirius chuckled deeply in his throat, a sound which made Ginny smile. "I suppose being led by him to the keep has its benefits. Although it would be nice if they did have chariots here."

"And how would our guard get to the capital then?" Sirius asked, amusement in his tone. "We all get there at one time or not at all."

At his words the members of the guard shifted slightly and seemed to stand a little taller and Ginny smiled at her adoptive father with pride. This was why he was a great leader, not only did he have the ability to give inspiring speeches, he had a way of making even the smallest child in his empire feel important. No one was beneath his notice or unworthy of his attention, and he valued the Creed very highly.

 _He's come a long way from the pranking Gryffindor school boy._

Sirius had truly come into his own before he ever became a king. Being a part of the Second Sons had hardened him so that he knew this world knew no mercy even though he had already experienced that when he had spent thirteen years in prison surrounded by demons for a crime he didn't commit.

He had matured, gained wisdom and become a commander and leader of men that people would follow to the death.

There was a reason he was so beloved by his people. Ginny knew she would have followed him anywhere when she was still in Hogwarts and his death had enraged and saddened her a great deal.

Now that she knew that wasn't the case, Ginny had vowed a long time ago that she was going to protect the man she saw as her second father. He was very different from

Arthur Weasley but it was an exceptional sort of different that had been perfect for her adjustment to life in Essos.

And now that he was by her side, she had no more fear of what she would face in Westeros, despite the danger. She could feel her confidence returning when he placed his hand on her shoulder and smirked.

 _And the game is on._

The dock was now only twenty feet away and the water was deep enough that they could come right up to it without hitting the bottom.

The many people gathered on the dock which were being held back by the Kingsguard were craning their necks to see the foreign royals.

Ginny was glad she had put her hood up because she didn't want anyone to know what she looked like until they had reached the keep.

Mystery was going to be the greatest thing to aid them in this case. It would add an air of power to their persona as not knowing a person's face created all sorts of possibilities in one's mind and therefore you had the power to hold them in thrall before you even met them.

That was what Sirius was going for now.

The moment the gangplank was lowered, the Creed formed a complete circle around the king and princess.

There was a pause before Ginny looked between the guards and saw that it appeared Lord Steffon was walking up the gangplank to meet them with a contingent of the Kingsguard at his back.

There was a deep silence in the air as all those gathered leaned forward to hear what would be said between the storm lord and the gryphon king.

The sun was shining on the water like a spotlight and the sound of the waves lapping against the hull of the ship were the only things that could be heard in the silence.

Sirius took a step forward and tapped Orius's shoulder so he could stand aside and the king could address the lord of Storm's End as he came onto the ship.

The moment the captain of the Creed guard moved aside and Lord Steffon saw Sirius, he bowed low.

"Your graces, welcome to Westeros. We are honored by your presence."

Ginny questioned his sincerity about that statement but since her face was half cloaked in shadow, he couldn't see her smirk.

"Thank you Lord Baratheon," Sirius said smoothly. "But was such a turnout completely necessary? My daughter and I have brought our own guards with us from Mereen. Surely the Kingsguard weren't a needed thing to escort us to the Red Keep."

"His grace, King Aerys insisted," Steffon replied and he almost looked apologetic. "He would not want his royal guests to be without adequate protection."

Sirius made a sound that almost appeared a cross between a snort and a cough and when he spoke again, he sounded highly amused. "And we could not have that now could we?"

Before Lord Baratheon could say anything else, Sirius turned to the Creed guard and said a few short sharp commands in High Valyrian, knowing that Steffon would not be able to understand them.

Immediately the guard stood to attention and Missandei who had been watching the proceedings came down from the stern of the ship to stand beside Ginny.

Sirius turned back to Lord Steffon who was watching the proceedings curiously. "Shall we proceed?"

The Lord nodded. "Of course. If you would but follow me your grace, we will arrive at the keep momentarily."

Sirius held out his hand to Ginny in the form of a fist which she rested her hand atop of and the Creed formed a circle about them once more as the royals disembarked from the ship. Missandei followed at a discreet distance but was also in the circle among the guards.

Lord Steffon and the Kingsguard led the way back through the city streets. Ironically the smell seemed to lessen the moment they were in and among the buildings, but Ginny still saw with distaste puddles of human waste being tossed out of windows.

 _Gods…if I do decide to become the queen of this land…designing better drainage for this city will be the first thing that I do._

Lord Steffon kept to the main streets which had much wider widths and less alleys for people to jump out of. The smells changed to one of meat cooking on open flames and spices that venders were selling in the streets. In some places, brightly colored tarps were hung over the alleyways to provide shade from the sun and the streets were all cobbled stones that rang as people walked upon them.

Though her hood was up, Ginny was still able to see all manner of the people who had gathered to watch this rather historic event.

As they passed a particular building, the red head happened to notice a great deal many children gathered at the door along with two women one of whom was holding a squalling infant.

The building itself appeared old but was in a state of disrepair if the peeling paint and chipped bricks were any indication.

 _Is this what passes for an orphanage in this country?_ Ginny thought to herself.

"Stop," she said quietly.

The Creed guard all of whom seemed to possess ears like a cat immediately halted though Steffon and the Kingsguard carried on a few paces before they realized they weren't being followed and turned back.

Sirius immediately saw what had drawn Ginny's attention and his expression darkened somewhat, not in anger for the orphanage itself but because such standards would not have been accepted in Mereen.

He had always told her that protecting the children of his country was the most important thing because they were the next generation that would live under the next rule of Gryffindors. In order to maintain a dynasty that lasted long after they were gone, the care of the next generation was paramount. In order to bring Essos out of the archaic past

Sirius had insisted that each child who lived in an orphanage in his empire be taught to read and write and know their numbers. A well educated people was one that was likely to improve and grow and build a more fortified future.

But Ginny could see that this was not the case in Westeros and it enraged her. _Aerys Targaryen treats his subjects as if they are nothing more than cattle and people have to follow his laws because he is the king._

She was under no illusions that she and Sirius were perfect rulers but she acknowledged that they listened to the people.

Ginny placed a gentle hand on Gavreen's shoulder so she might slip in between him and out of the circle. Calmly she walked toward the orphanage and the children at its doors who looked shell shocked that the foreign princess was paying attention to them.

"Your grace I must insist that we continue to move on," Lord Steffon called but the red head paid him no attention.

"Peace my lord," Sirius said from somewhere behind her. "My daughter has a very tender heart and it is due to her influence that no child sleeps in the cold in our empire. I can see that that might not be the case here."

Ginny wanted to smirk at the subtle dig but she restrained herself because at the moment she had stopped before the children.

There was a moment's hesitation before the two ladies bowed low and the children followed suit right away. Their clothing was not well made but it was clean and Ginny could tell that these women worked hard to keep the children well kept. Though they were skinny, it was not the type of rail thin that hinted at malnutrition and some of them just appeared small.

The street had become very quiet as soon as the foreign princess had stepped out from behind her guards and made her way towards the orphanage. Everyone was watching to see what she would do.

But that didn't seem to matter.

Instead, Ginny smiled at the children. "Please stand up, there is no need to bow. Pray tell me, what are your names?"

One of ladies who looked to be in charge and whose face was swathed in veils straightened first and gave the princess a shy smile. "My name is Mylene your grace and this is an orphanage that we run for the children of the city who have lost parents to war."

"And how many children do you have?" Ginny asked.

"About two dozen your grace," another of the women said. She was short a somewhat plump but she had a round face and a pleasant smile that reminded Ginny somewhat of her mother's. "But more are coming in all the time. This city is a terrible place for a child with no parents."

"I can see that," Ginny murmured.

There was a moment of silence before she got down on her knees in front of the children who were all looking at her with wide eyes. "Now why don't you tell me your names?"

The little boy in front of her looked back at Mylene and she nodded at him and smiled before he turned. "My name is Jaeson your grace."

"And how old are you Jaeson?" Ginny asked.

"I'm nine," he responded.

"When did you first come here?" Ginny asked softly.

"Three years ago I think," he replied. The whole time he had been looking down at his feet as he spoke to her but as she asked her next question Ginny raised a hand so she might lift his chin and see his eyes. He reluctantly looked at her and she was surprised to see that he had large pale brown eyes that were almost gold. He would grow up to be very handsome no doubt.

"And do you like it here Jaeson?" Ginny asked.

He nodded eagerly. "It's much nicer than sleeping in the street. I have to share my bed and my clothes, but I don't mind. There's not always a lot to eat. But I'm not ever hungry."

"Good," Ginny said softly.

She smiled at him before getting back to her feet and turning to her father who was watching the situation with blazing pride in his eyes. The creed guard had stepped back to form a semi-circle about him so that he could see his daughter's activities.

"Father?" Ginny asked.

"Yes my daughter?" Sirius replied.

Ginny rested her hand atop the small boy's head. "Do you not think that Jaeson here has the build of a knight?"

Sirius smiled at her beneath his hood. "Aye, he does."

Ginny nodded before looking down at the small boy whose eyes had gone enormous at the mention of the word.

"Would you like to be a knight Jaeson?" she asked.

He nodded eagerly.

Ginny smiled again before turning back to Mylene who had begun to smile as well. Stepping back towards the older woman, Ginny leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "You will be hearing from me about these children in a day or so. I am going to be residing in King's Landing for the next little while so some of these children I might take into my service. As for right now however, come to me for whatever you need to feed them, clothe them or house them. Directly to me."

Mylene looked as if she were trying to keep from shedding tears but smiled at Ginny even though it was watery. "Yes your grace. Thank you."

Ginny bent slightly and kissed Jaeson lightly on the top of his head, not caring that his hair was slightly greasy and a little unwashed. As far as she was concerned, each child in that place was precious no matter what they wore or what they looked like.

She waved goodbye to them all before walking back to the circle of her guard and stepping in between them to join her father. "We can continue now Lord Baratheon, I apologize for the delay."

The man looked a little surprised at what she had done however and only nodded to her. "It was not a problem at all your grace."

They moved to continue walking on their journey to the keep, but before their pace resumed, Ginny caught sight of one of the Kingsguard looking at her through his helm rather curiously. It almost looked as if there was a flash of admiration in his eyes.

 _Perhaps honor is still valued here, despite the king that the Kingsguard is serving._

"A rather interesting idea daughter," Sirius said under his breath as they walked.

Ginny frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you showing interest in the children of this city is sure to draw the attention of the king. I know you did not do this with that purpose in mind but it is sure to be an interesting way to attain the support of the people."

"I suppose that is one result that may come of me taking notice of the children in this city," Ginny mused.

"I only stress caution because of the realm we are in," Ginny noticed Sirius had put up silencing charms about them when they were aboard the ship so if they ever spoke to each other, no one would overhear them. It was a useful tool to employ given where they were and who they would be around. She was glad for them now as they walked as it meant no one, not even the Creed guard around them could hear what they were saying. "We are going into a situation where the king is professed to be mad. He might see your empowering of the people through these children as an attempt to seize power."

"That is true," Ginny replied. "However if he thinks the people of this city have my attention then he may think it will be a way to keep me here and marry his son."

"Also true," Sirius noted.

The pair lapsed into silence as they continued through the streets with the overabundance of guards around them.

The keep began to come into closer view and with its tall deep red walls and looming towers it looked almost foreboding, a vast difference from the great pyramid that Ginny had called home for the past two years

"He certainly does seem to like the look of forbidden structures doesn't he?" she whispered to her father and he chuckled low in his throat.

There were a great many differences between the Red Keep and the Great Pyramid. For one the red keep was located on a peninsula on the outskirts of the city, detached from everything else that was in the city which was only a means of showcasing that those in the keep liked to keep themselves separate from all of the poor.

In Mereen however, the Great Pyramid was in the center of the city and no matter where one was, they could always see its pinnacle with the golden gryphon at the very top. It was extremely easy to get to and though an enormous structure, it was seen as a symbol of peace for the gryphon looks down on all.

When they reached the gates of the keep, the great doors swung open and Lord Steffon led the way into the enormous courtyard of the keep.

The red keep almost seemed to be an island on its own although it was connected to the rest of the city. The rock it was sitting on seemed to thin out as it approached the gates of the palace and then widened out again to accommodate the whole keep.

It was styled almost like a series of steps leading up to the palace itself and they were on the lowest and largest one. The palace itself looked out right over the water and its tallest tower looked over a hundred feet high. There were many gardens if the sweet scent of flowers coming her way was any indication. The walls were thick and high and she could see many soldiers patrolling its walls, armed to the teeth.

The gate behind them had two stone watch towers on either side of the road and an elevated ramp of sorts led through it to the second level of the palace. The levels after that had numerous gardens that looked out over the ocean. The palace itself seemed to be built in the shape of a triangle as the front of it was a straight line and the rest leading to the outermost point of the rock it was sitting on were two pyramidal lines.

Ginny couldn't say that she liked it but she was also biased because she thought Mereen was one of the most beautiful places in the world and there would be few things that would come close to it in beauty.

The gardens however that she was able to see from the courtyard did appear to be rather nice however and perhaps she could learn to like them.

When they had entered in through the gates and the doors had shut behind them, the Creed guard opened slightly so that Lord Steffon could turn and address the king.

"We will entering through the main doors of the keep your graces," he said. "The doors into the throne room are just inside."

"Very good Lord Steffon," Sirius said. "But might I have a moment with my daughter first before we go inside?"

"Of course your grace."

Lord Steffon turned away to speak with one of the members of the Kingsguard while Sirius turned back to Ginny and took both of her hands in his. "I will ask one last time. Are you ready for this and whatever might follow? Once we walk through those doors and into that throne room your life will change exponentially. Whether this is a good or bad change is up to you. Know that I am by your side every step of the way and there's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

Ginny gave her second father a gentle smile. "I know and I love you all the more for it. But we are here now and given what has happened over the last few months because of this, I feel I am ready."

He gave a sharp nod. "This is your decision whether or not you want to marry this man and I will not stop you if this is something that you wish. But know that you have an out and there is no pressure on you despite what this king says."

"I know father," Ginny replied. "I am probably more aware of that now than I ever have been before."

It had become a lot easier to call Sirius her father lately because he was in every sense of the word. He had protected her, cared for her, comforted her, listened to her and given her a second family and a home as well as helped her heal.

He would never be Arthur Weasley the man who had brought her into this world, but fathers were more than just blood. They were heart and they were head as well.

Sirius was her second father and she would call him that until the day she died for the second time.

"Are you ready then?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Very well then. Lord Baratheon?"

The man turned back from where he was standing. "Yes your grace?"

The members of the Kingsguard who had just accompanied them through the gates of the keep had gone back inside no doubt to report to the king that the royal visitors were outside.

"We are ready my lord," Sirius said graciously. "Will you please show us in?"

"Of course your graces," Steffon replied.

The guards of the Creed reformed their circle around Sirius and Ginny and the king offered his daughter his hand so they might continue walking.

It only took a few minutes to enter the door of the keep and the moment they were inside, Ginny became aware of an almost red, orange and gold color scheme in the marble tiles of the floor and the cream colored pillars. The windows of the keep were decorated with flowers and the halls were long and winding.

The moment they stepped inside of the cool shady quiet of the hall, Ginny became aware of the short hallway ahead of them leading to a pair of large glossy wooden doors with thick brass handles on them. They must have been the doors that led into the keep and judging by the murmur of voices that could be heard from within, it was a packed house that awaited them.

Ginny threw a glance at Sirius and saw that even beneath his hood there was an almost wolfish smile in the way he was baring his teeth. He seemed very keen to get inside those doors and meet this king that he had heard so much about.

Though not because he had any admiration for his reputation mind you.

He held out his hand once more and Ginny placed her hand atop of it, his smug laid back attitude almost infectious in the way that she smiled at him.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Ginny smirked. "I've been ready for a long time. I just didn't know it. Come, we shouldn't keep them waiting any longer. House Gryffindor is waiting to be unleashed."

Sirius's low rumbling chuckle was the last thing she heard before someone on the other side of the doors must have opened them for they swung open.

Keeping her expression completely blank and a smug glint in her eye, Ginny strode beside her father and behind the guard into the cool of the throne room that had gone utterly silent.

Ω

They must have created quite a picture striding into the throne room at the center of a circle of heavily armed guards with their faces covered and their black and gold cloaks trailing the ground behind them.

The Creed always walked with a pace that while smooth and had the feline quality of a big cat, there was always a purpose in their stride and so when Ginny and her father all but strode into the throne room, people took notice right away.

The first thing that the red head noticed as she and Sirius and their guard walked in was the sheer amount of people in the room. It seemed that nearly every noble in the city was present to view the king and the princess from across the sea. Ginny saw a sea of faces, many of them bearing expressions of eagerness, hostility, confusion, anxiety, but mostly curiosity.

It was a large throne room and had galleries on the left side of the room in which one could watch court proceedings. There were six large pillars in the room as well, three on each side and they were surrounded in their lower half by steel grates that contained firewood to be lit when it was cold. The pillars went up at least fifty feet and the ceiling of the throne room was lofty like that of a church in the way it came up in a triangle formation.

The color scheme in the room was a curious scheme of black and white and brown but the differing shades were the last things that Ginny thought about as she looked around.

What did catch her eye were the skulls of the dragons scattered throughout the room. Some of them were enormous, the size of Septimus or Faebian's head and others were so small they were the size of her fist and barely noticeable.

The only reason she did see those ones at all was because they were sitting on the steps of a raised dais at the far end of the room. There were six wide steps that led up to a platform upon which rested the ugliest throne Ginny had ever seen.

As she looked more closely at it, she was able to see that it was made out of melted down swords, several of them which had been attached to the back of the chair. It was enormous and looked highly uncomfortable but it was what it symbolized that disgusted her.

Sirius's throne in Mereen symbolized who he was, the gryphon king that many had put their faith and trust in and of which he had taken a vow to lead and protect. It was a symbol of prosperity as well because of the twelve gryphons that were swooping about their city and that the gryphon princes were well and healthy.

But this throne was a symbol of oppression because it symbolized all those who had fallen to obtain the swords that had made it.

 _How many armies have risen and fallen just so the Targaryens could add to that monstrosity of a chair?_

The throne itself was situated beneath a tall window in which suspended a wrought iron circle and contained within the circle was a seven pointed star in blood red and made of glass. It was the symbol of the faith of the Seven of Westeros, the primary religion. There were candles everywhere and at the wall behind the throne on either side were two tall archways which led into other part of the keep.

All of this only held Ginny's attention for a moment however before the rather pathetic looking creature seated on the throne captured it.

 _If this is King Aerys I would hate to see the poor in this city as they must look a thousand times worse._

He was a pale almost wraith like creature with platinum blonde hair and violet eyes set deep in his face with dark circles underneath. He was dressed in rich red robes that hung loosely on his thin frame and atop his head there rested a wide band of gold with twelve black spikes sticking up out of it.

His eyes had fastened on the Creed guard and those two within it that were very obviously the people who had come to see him. His smile was greedy and his eyes were vibrant with a light that Ginny did not like.

It was then that she noticed the two people standing beside him. On a small wooden chair to his right was a woman who was obviously the queen. She had the same platinum blonde hair and violet eyes as her husband betraying her familial relation to him and there was a thin band of silver on her forehead. She was attired in a stunning purple dress that bared her arms and gave way to her beautiful face. But it was the expression in her eyes that made Ginny frown. You might never have been able to tell in her posture or stance but…she looked tired. Almost as if she had been fighting a battle born of emotion for so long that she had forgotten how to simply live.

And then Ginny turned and gazed upon the person standing on the left side of the throne dressed in dark robes accented in red.

He bore no crown but his hair was neatly combed back and his violet eyes were watching the proceedings with mild interest and curiosity. He was tall, at least half a head taller than she was and his build was strong and lean as if he had spent a lifetime training himself to be at his full physical potential.

But it was his face that struck her.

Her dream had not done justice to his exquisite features and Ginny felt as if she were truly seeing him for the first time as he stood there beside the throne. His features were high and chiselled as if they had been cut from stone and his jaw was hard and well defined. The planes of his face were aristocratic betraying the looks of his ancestors and

Ginny felt her heart rate quicken ever so slightly.

For this was the man she had seen in her dreams.

There was no denying it and now she was left to try and grasp the reality of what this all meant. If what the Undying had shown her two years ago was true in that dream and now in this reality, did that mean that all of the other things she had seen would come true as well?

She was snapped from her thoughts as she continued walking into the center of the throne room with her father and finally the Creed guard came to a stop. They were standing in a circle around Sirius and Ginny with their hands clasped in front of them and their feet shoulder width apart, their hooded faces gazing at the king with impassive expressions on their faces.

Sirius barked something in High Valyrian and immediately the Creed smoothly transitioned into the semi-circle they had been in on the ship.

There was a long silence throughout the throne room and Ginny was certain she could hear the breath of every single person standing there in that moment. The tension was so thick one could cut it with a knife and in spite of herself she smirked, completely unconcerned with how it looked.

She felt Sirius' grasp on her hand tighten subtly as the two of them stood before the Targaryens.

Sirius turned his head to take in all of those gathered and his eyes lit upon the skulls of the dragons. His eyes widened slightly in amusement at the pathetic attempts of the dragon kings to hold onto the past.

Ginny could practically hear the smirk in his voice when he spoke finally.

"So for once the rumors are true."

His thunderous voice echoed and cracked across the throne room with the force of a whip, causing Ginny's smirk to widen. Sirius's voice had deepened exponentially since he had come to Essos and it now carried a rumbling tone to it that in the right circumstance resembled thunder. It was a voice he had commanded legions of men with and just hearing it made someone sit up and take notice.

As she glanced around, Ginny could tell that Westeros's nobles were certainly taking notice now. People standing in the back and deep amongst the crowd were standing on their toes and craning their necks to get better look at them.

Ginny had a feeling she knew what sort of game her second father was playing. In speaking first the power in the room had shifted to him because all would know what he wished to say now. And he could hold people in thrall for as long as he liked.

She decided to play along and turned to him, a smirk on her face. "Rumors father? What rumors do you mean?"

Sirius's smirk became almost feral in that moment. "They really do keep dragon skulls in their keep. Fascinating isn't it?"

There was a slight murmuring among the crowd as people began to wonder to each other what this new king was doing.

Ginny's smirk widened. If anything, Sirius loved being unpredictable and it was a trait he had upheld since his days at Hogwarts. No doubt people would not know what to expect now.

It seemed that Aerys had let the monologue continue on long enough and decided to take control of the situation.

"Welcome to Westeros King Sirius Gryffindor and Princess Ginevra. Long have we waited to meet you."

His voice was high and didn't care nearly the presence that Sirius's did. It almost sounded soft in the courtroom as if his voice had been lessened to half of its power.

Sirius gave an almost imperceptible nod of his head like he was inclining it to the king and then raised his hands to the hood of his cloak, drawing it down from his face so his visage might be seen.

There was a very long silence as he lowered the garment, revealing his face, his bearing and the winged crown he wore upon his brow.

Ginny could feel the intense scrutiny of her father from everyone's gaze but Sirius remained the picture of an almost lazy serenity. The red head darted her eyes to the sides of the courtroom and could see many of the women gathered looking at him with an appraising look in their eyes.

She smirked to herself again.

She had seen pictures in Number 12 Grimmauld Place when the Order had been meeting there and had been stunned at the almost movie star good looks that Sirius had exhibited when he was younger.

Time had been good to him before it only made his bearing appear even stronger and give an air of authority to his presence that he had not had in England. He had always been a solidly built and well-muscled person but the air and the food and training of Essos had done wonders for him.

He was a king in every sense of the word and Ginny knew that he knew it too for the confidence he exhibited when facing a king that physically at least did not bear mention of the name, was infectious.

"I am afraid that matters of state may take unprecedented amounts of time to resolve, King Aerys," Sirius replied smoothly. "But you understand this of course."

Ginny wondered at his tone for a moment before she ignored it.

"Of course," the king replied and Ginny saw the glint in his eye. He obviously didn't like knowing that there was another man as powerful as he was with the dragons and the empire to back it up. Or that he had been kept waiting.

But then he turned his attention to her. "And this must be the princess Ginevra whom my cousin has told me so much about."

Ginny smirked quietly to herself and took a silent breath before reached her hands to her hood and lowering it like her father had done.

This time and she was certain she didn't imagine it, there was an almost imperceptible gasp from the members of court and if anything it made Aerys eyes narrow even more greedily as he took her in.

As Ginny lowered her hood, her thick blood red curls tumbled down her back and about her face and she could feel the prickling of hundreds of eyes upon her. They would analyze her just as they had done to Sirius.

And so to hold off any rumors about her lack of proper decorum, Ginny swept into a deep curtsy. When she stood again, she looked at the king and did the only thing she could do.

She smirked.

Aerys eyes widened in manic delight and he began to chuckle softly, drawing the attention of many of the people in the room. "Pardon me for using your own words King Sirius, but it also seems that the rumors we have heard are true as well."

Sirius's lazy smile only widened as did Ginny's and she folded her hands comfortably in front of her. "I don't purport to be anything but truthful your grace."

The king's chuckle became a resounding laugh. "So it would seem. You do have the look of the ancient Gryffindors my dear."

"Thank you your grace."

What else could she say after all?

"The both of you are very welcome," Aerys went on and the manic glint in his eye only exacerbated. "There will be a feast in your honor held this evening. That way the princess may acclimatize herself to the royal court of Westeros. This is to be her home after all."

Sirius's smile continued but a dangerous look appeared in his eyes. It was the look he usually wore before he went into battle on the back of Faebian and Ginny knew right away that Aerys was delusional if he thought what had taken place here today meant she was somehow guaranteed as a bride for his son.

"Time will tell King Aerys," His voice was smooth as honey but carrying a hard edge all the same. "Time will tell."

The violet eyes of the other king narrowed but some shred of logic seemed to convince him that now would not be the time to counter his guests because he knew what they could do.

Lord Steffon who was standing near the foot of the throne was looking increasingly uncomfortable. Hoping she would put the man at ease Ginny smiled at him.

His response looked more like a grimace but at least he attempted it.

Aerys must have caught sight of the focus of her attention and his smile turned to a small sneer.

"Steffon!" he barked.

The man nearly jumped. "Yes your grace?"

The king's sneer was almost feral even though Sirius kept on smiling. "Please see our royal guests to their chambers. I'm sure they have had a long journey and we want to make sure they are as comfortable as possible."

Sirius answer was preceded by a deep smirk. "That's not necessary King Aerys, my daughter and I plan to look around the keep. _If_ this is to be her home, then I would ensure that it is as…safe as possible. You don't mind do you not?"

Aerys looked somewhat put out that his orders were being overlooked but diplomacy and the fact that he was also standing before a king himself seemed to retain some of his rationale. "Of course King Sirius. The keep is open to you."

It was Ginny who answered this time. "Thank you your grace. I'm sure our stay here will be very…informative."

Her mouth curved slightly in a smile and it was then and only then that she allowed her gaze to wander to Prince Rhaegar.

It appeared that his eyes had not left her for the entirety of the time that she had had her hood lowered. As soon as his violet eyes met her blue ones, Ginny felt a tingling along her skin and a prickling at the back of her neck.

There was a feeling of memory there and in that moment all of her memories and emotions from the vision she had had nearly two years came rushing back to her and it was like no time at all had passed.

Fortunately none of what she was feeling showed on her face for it seemed that the prince had a very intense gaze and could melt someone who wasn't emotionally stable beneath it.

Ginny now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was the man from her vision and her confusion about what that meant was acute.

She held his gaze for a moment long before she curtsied once more to the king and took her father's raised her hand. The Creed guard immediately assembled in a circle about them once more and smoothly turned on their heels so they might escort their rulers out of the throne room.

The doors opened for them, and immediately they were gone.

But Ginny could feel Prince Rhaegar's eyes on her back the whole time.

Ω

A few hours later saw the two Gryffindors walking slowly about the gardens. They had both shed their cloaks and left them in their rooms which were now being set up by Missandei and the servants they had brought with them.

The air of tension in the keep had dissipated somewhat since the two kings had parted and the king and princess were simply taking a moment to assess what they had seen and speak about it with each other.

Silencing wards had been put up around them as Orius, Gavreen, Visrael and Sion followed at a discreet distance, their footsteps barely a tap on the stones.

"What did you think of them?" Sirius asked quietly. "It seems that King Aerys is a madman just as we have been told. However I was rather pleasantly surprised at the diplomacy he showed us."

"I wasn't," Ginny put in. "He's never been face to face with someone who has equal to or greater power than he does and that makes him wary. When we weren't here he could posture as much as he wanted and no one would have reason to disbelieve him. But now that we are here and standing before him and he saw that it was not going to be easy to manipulate you or me, it had him backpedaling. Don't think he'll give up however. He seemed rather forward that this was to be my new home."

Sirius snorted. "You'll make that choice yourself without any pressure on his part. You know I have no qualms about doing what is necessary to ensure our family's safety."

Ginny smirked. "Let's hold off on an assassination attempt just yet. I still have yet to speak to the other person that this decision will be affecting."

"And you are certain that he is the one from your vision?" Sirius asked.

Ginny took a deep breath. "That is the only thing that I am certain of right now."

Sirius looked a bit grim. "Very well then, we will commence with the plan we have put into place in Mereen. If the king does not agree to it then we will be departing from this city without delay."

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him. "You do not like the city?"

Sirius's lower lip curled in disgust. "It is a poor representation of a city. Mereen is far superior."

The red head chuckled. "Don't you think you're a little biased? Mereen wasn't much better than this city before we arrived and beautified it."

"I suppose that is true."

"And speaking of arrival," Ginny said suddenly remembering something. "Ought you not to check in with Vellaena and see how court for the day went? Morosh is still adjusting to new leadership and needs to be kept an eye on."

Sirius raised an eyebrow at her. "Only you would think of the running of an empire while we are discussing your potential marriage."

Ginny shrugged and smiled. "What can I say? The running of the empire helps distract me from my thoughts at times."

Sirius chuckled. "Perhaps I will check in with them. Are you certain you will be alright here while I do so?"

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm not that helpless am I? And give the triplets a kiss for me."

Sirius smiled before kissing the top of her head. "Just keeping an eye out for you my dear. I should be gone no more than half an hour."

He turned away to speak to the guards for a moment before he disillusioned himself and apparated away with a crack.

Ginny nodded to the four of her guard and they continued slowly walking through the garden. "What do you think of this place Orius?"

"I find I am in agreement with the king your grace. It is a most disagreeable place," the captain replied.

Ginny chuckled. "You and my father are such pessimists sometimes. Was not Mereen in a state of disrepair before the king and I came to settle in it?"

"Aye your grace it was. But I do not think it was nearly as bad as some of the city I have seen from the ship. The area of Flea Bottom seems to be in need of serious redirection."

Ginny nodded. "We can agree on that at least."

They continued walking through the garden in silence and Ginny found she rather liked the cool quiet of the place. It would be a good place to reflect for her if she decided to make this place her home as Aerys seemed to hint she would.

The trees were tall and the flowers were plentiful and with the shining of the sun down upon her, it almost seemed to be as perfect as the gardens she loved so much in Mereen.

For a moment she closed her eyes and allowed herself to imagine that she was home. Though she felt confident in what she and Sirius had come here to do, now that she was here in the keep there would be things she would need to account for that they might not have expected.

King Aerys had actually seemed to possess some shred of rationale when speaking with them although that probably had more to do with the fact that they were equal to each other in power if not more.

Ginny had a feeling it wouldn't bode well with the dragon king to know that there was someone with more power than him in the world.

She also knew that there had to have been a shred of logic in his brain which prevented him from acting how he wanted to do as their situation with the king was still precarious.

 _I've always like engaging in politics, but this is on a whole other level._

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wondering how she and Sirius would plan their next move.

The game was different here and though they had the advantage of dragons and magic that didn't mean that they could be too cocky.

Ginny knew that Aerys would find it difficult to intimidate Sirius given the fact that he was not only a king but a commander.

 _That fool has probably never even seen what a battle looks like._

Ginny felt an iron clad nerve settle in her heart once more. _I came here for myself, not at the behest of some king and I will make my choice to say yes or no, no matter what he does._

There were few people that would be able to stop her and Aerys Targaryen was the least of them.

"Are you well your grace?" Orius asked.

She smiled at the captain. "I am. Just thinking."

No sooner had she said the words when an unfamiliar sound permeated the silence of the garden. It sounded almost like a violin but the plucks on the string were much softer and as it carried on the wind the melody of it was one of great sorrow that almost made her want to weep as it reminded her of another time.

 _Where is that coming from?_

Curious, Ginny followed the sound until she was standing at the entrance to a garden with a short stone wall filled with pale white silvery flowers that seemed oddly familiar.

And it was there that she saw him.

It was a bit of a surprise to see someone of his position doing something so normal, but then Ginny did a lot of journaling in her spare time as well which might have been odd for someone to see of her position as well.

Seeing Rhaegar Targaryen sitting on a bench in that garden with a harp in his hands calmly coaxing music from the strings caused Ginny to smile. His eyes were closed as if he were feeling the melody and as the sound drifted toward her, the tenseness in Ginny relaxed slightly.

She didn't even know she had been feeling stiff until it fled from her and she leaned slightly against the wall of the garden, listening to the music.

The red head felt a wave of confusion upon seeing the prince as such an action only confirmed that the man she had seen in her vision was sitting before her and it challenged that she needed to do something with that information.

And truthfully Ginny didn't know what she was supposed to do with this knowledge. She was concerned because if the man she had seen in that vision was a living breathing human that she had married and had a child with then did that also mean any of the other visions she had seen would come true as well?

Obviously the one with the woman and the small dwarf like men she had no idea of what it might mean. And then the one with her family was certainly not going to come true as they were all dead. But the one of the ice covered throne room that looked eerily like the throne room of the red keep was one that was deeply concerning.

That one she would need to think on.

Ginny turned her attention back to the prince who appeared to be plucking the last few notes of his song. The moment the notes faded away, the prince appeared to take a deep breath as if releasing some hidden emotion.

It was then that Ginny decided to speak up.

"What is it about?"

His head shot up and his violet eyes crashed into hers before widening slightly as he took in who was standing before him.

"Your grace," he said getting to his feet and bowing slightly. "I didn't expect to see you here."

Ginny looked around the area and smiled slightly. "The gardens of this place remind me somewhat of home. It's…soothing."

The prince nodded and she couldn't tell if he was simply feeling a sense of awkwardness about the encounter or whether he was just wary because he didn't know her.

Perhaps it was a bit of both.

"I can agree," he said. "Out here the politics and affairs of state don't seem to matter as much."

Ginny cocked her head to one side. "Matters of ruling don't interest you?"

His eyes narrowed slightly before he saw the tiny smile on her face and realized that she was only gently teasing him. He responded by giving her one of his own and it did wonders for his face. Though he had been handsome when she had first seen him, the smile seemed to light up his whole face making his features entirely more beautiful.

Ginny felt her heart stutter and then resume at a slightly faster pace than before for she remembered that being the same smile he had given her in the vision.

 _Get a hold of yourself Gin.  
_

"It's not that," the prince replied walking a little closer so they were now standing in front of each other. "But there is certainly a lot to learn and there are times when I do crave being alone."

"I can understand that," Ginny said quietly. "Essos certainly has its fair share of intrigues and matters to look into. It seems the work of a royal is never done."

He looked at her carefully. "You seem well suited to handle it however."

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him. "I do? How do you mean?"

He offered her his arm as any prince or noble who had come to court with the hopes of speaking to her would and it was with some reluctance that Ginny took it.

With her guards following at a discreet distance the two of them began to walk slowly through the garden.

"It would seem that you hold the same amount of confidence as King Sirius," Prince Rhaegar observed and Ginny chuckled. "My father has always been a confident man but it has served him well as a king. He was rather intrigued when King Aerys sent his own cousin to our court to propose this marriage."

Rhaegar absently ran a hand through his hair, musing it slightly. "Yes I can imagine. My father's cousin had much to say when he returned from his visit to Mereen."

Ginny's eyebrow rose even higher. "Really? Do tell."

He looked down at her and Ginny thought for the moment that this was the first time he was really seeing her and assessing what he was seeing. "He had nothing but good things to say both of King Sirius and of you."

Ginny smirked. "A most pragmatic answer Prince Rhaegar. Surely there was more said than that."

The prince nodded. "There was but I am hesitant to say it."

Ginny frowned at him. "Why is that?"

The prince gave an almost wry smile. "Let us just say that my father did not take lightly to the knowledge that he would be kept waiting."

 _Really? Well isn't that interesting. He's going to love the proposal we have put forth then._

"Hmm," Ginny said. "And my father is someone who…likes to take his time when making decisions."

To her surprise, Prince Rhaegar seemed amused by that. "So it would seem. It will be rather amusing to see such differences in personality in the small council chamber."

"Yes it would be wouldn't it?"

They walked for a little while longer down a long pathway lined with trees. Ginny knew her guards were still behind her as she could hear their quiet footsteps on the stones but most of her attention was focused on the prince.

He seemed contemplative and she wondered what he was thinking about. After a while though he seemed to come to a question.

"May I ask you something your grace?" he asked quietly and she nodded.

"Of course."

"Why did you decide to come to Westeros? You had not given Lord Steffon an answer of confirmation or of rejection yet you traveled weeks to come here because you were curious?"

His curiosity of her presence shone through in his question and Ginny decided she would give him credit for getting right to the heart of the matter.

"My father is a cautious man your grace," she replied easily. "He does not like to make decisions without first ensuring he knows all of the facts tied to that decision and neither do I. It has what has helped us be so successful in our military campaigns in the Free Cities because despite the power we possess, we do not like to underestimate anyone. That would be the height of hubris and would not reflect well on us as rulers."

To her surprise Prince Rhaegar looked amused and chuckled slightly.

Ginny frowned at him. "Did I say something amusing your grace?"

The prince shook his head. "Nay princess, only some of what you said reminded me in part of my father's Hand. He is a cautious man as well."

"Hmm, well then I look forward to meeting him," Ginny replied.

"I'm sure you will. Depending on how long you will be here, I'm sure that you will meet all the important nobles at court. Knowing my father he wouldn't have anything less."

"He does seem rather…eager about the potential for this marriage doesn't he?" Ginny murmured.

Rhaegar looked surprisingly apologetic. "Yes, my father has long believed that House Targaryen was the last remnant of ancient Valyria and to know that there is now another house from what he deems that glorious lineage, he is quite…keen to see the two connected."

"And this has nothing to do with the…rumors that have been speculating about the abilities of my father and I?" Ginny asked.

It was a direct question but she wanted to feel him out. If she was going to spend the next three months in this place she wanted to go into it with her eyes open.

"Even if I were tell you that it didn't you wouldn't believe me would you?" the prince asked and Ginny gave him a wry smile. "No I wouldn't."

"I didn't think so," he said softly. "And what do you intend to do now that you know where my father's ambitions are?"

Ginny looked up at him suddenly going very serious. "I'm less interested in his ambitions than I am yours your grace."

Rhaegar looked slightly surprised. "You are interested in my ambitions?"

Ginny laughed lightly. "Of course I am. Based upon what I decide it will be you I am marrying and not him. It therefore stands to reason that I would be more interested in you."

The prince gave her a long and serious look. "And have you decided anything so far your grace?"

Ginny narrowed her blue eyes slightly. "Not yet. But…I am optimistic."

"You are?"

"Indeed. I've always been an optimistic person no matter the circumstances. And I think I will like what this situation affords me."

Rhaegar frowned. "And what will it afford you?"

Her smile became almost a smirk. "Clarity."

It was then that she released her hold on his arm and he felt an odd sense of loss from the removal of it.

The princess turned back at her guards but then looked back at him and gave him a small smile. "I will await your attempts to make me yours. But I will warn you your grace…I am not easily impressed."

He was about to respond when she suddenly placed a hand on the arm of the captain of her guard…and the five of them vanished.

There had been a slight cracking sound and the prince blinked wondering how on earth she had done that. Lord Steffon had been rather vague in the rumors about their magic but the subtle way he had described it made it seem as if this was quite a thing to behold.

And Rhaegar agreed with him.

 _I can see that this is another thing the rumors were true about,_ he thought to himself as he stared at the place where she had been.

But despite everything, she had his attention and if there was one thing the prince did like…it was a challenge.

Ω

 **So Aerys is on his best behavior for now. But we all know that it will not last. Though Ginny has now received confirmation that Prince Rhaegar is the man from her vision, she's not going to fall into his arms and the two of them will live happily ever after. That would be the height of stupidity but she does want to feel him out if she does decide that she wants to marry. She's gonna put him through the fire folks and try and learn everything about his character in the six months period that she and Sirius have decided upon. So that's all for now. In the next chapter, there will be the occurrence of the feast that Aerys was talking about and more opportunities for Ginny and Rhaegar to speak and get to know one another better. Also in the next chapter we will see the small council meeting between Aerys, Tywin, Ginny, Sirius and Rhaegar in which they discuss the terms of the contract the Gryffindors have drawn up and they are both going to play some hard ball, so I'm excited for that. Don't forget to review and happy reading everyone!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

After Ginny left the prince, she retreated to her room in which she spent almost an inordinate amount of time in the bath, readying herself for the evening.

Missandei had told her that tonight would be more important than ever before perhaps even her wedding day if she chose to marry Prince Rhaegar because this would be the first time the nobles of Westeros would see her as a princess.

Ginny wasn't sure that she believed that given the meeting between her father and Aerys that had happened earlier but she also decided not to protest at the time.

Sirius had been true to his word and had returned in no longer than a half an hour. They had been put in a royal suite of rooms in the same wing as the king, the queen and the crown prince themselves.

Even then Ginny wanted to laugh at Aerys pathetic attempts to keep her and her father close.

She was glad that there was an adjoining door between her and Sirius's rooms so they would be able to reach each other in case something was wrong.

She could hear him now through the door talking to Gulian about some matter the steward had called him through the two way mirror about.

Sirius explained to her that court had gone well for the day and Vellaena had been happy to see him. Morosh seemed to be doing well under the careful rule of Magister Rio whom Sirius had not spoken with but he had promised to check in with the new magister later in the week.

Ginny had held off on telling him about her conversation with Prince Rhaegar for at the time it didn't seem half as important.

She had been eager to hear how the twins were as she hadn't seen them in a few weeks and Sirius told her they were talking more and more all the time and that Godric was demanding to see her.

Ginny chuckled and informed her adoptive father that she would try to steal some time away tonight after the feast to return to Mereen and see Vellaena and the triplets.

She had seen a beaming smile on her father's face and asked him then with a frown what was the matter.

He had then thrown some silencing charms up around the room and informed her that Vellaena had quietly told him that she was expecting again. Apparently the maester had confirmed it that very morning.

This had led to Ginny giving a great squeal of excitement and bouncing around the room in her glee about having a new little brother or sister. Having grown up in her first life having a lot of siblings, she loved having a big family and being a big sister was something that agreed with her tremendously.

Sirius told her he had thought about having another boy and Ginny agreed with him. The triplets were so sweet and loving and she was used to having lots of brothers. A small part of her wouldn't mind if it was a girl either though as she had never had a sister before.

After that happy piece of business had concluded, Sirius had noticed that the two way mirror he had was blinking which meant that Gulian was calling and had gone into his own adjoining chambers to speak to his steward.

In the meantime, Ginny had been informed by Missandei that she would need to bathe soon before the feast that evening and that she had already lain out a gown for the gryphon princess to wear.

The bath in her chambers in the red keep wasn't nearly as large as the one in Mereen and for a moment, Ginny considered apparating back there with Missandei so she could use the bath and get ready in the privacy of her own room.

After a moment though she rejected the thought as she didn't know who might be calling for her or whether or not Sirius would need her and opted to wait until Missandei had filled the tub with hot water before shedding her clothes and stepping into it.

Missandei had already poured the perfumed oils and bath salts into the tub and Ginny felt her pale skin tingle as she sank down into the cloudy bubbly water and closed her eyes.

She had already pinned up her long crimson curls as her servant was going to set them later.

While Missandei bustled about pouring various things into the tub and singing softly to herself as she often did, Ginny leaned against the back of the tub and closed her eyes, thinking back on the conversation she had had with Rhaegar today.

Missandei seemed to be of the same mind for after she poured another drop of oil into the tub, she turned to the red head with a peculiar smile on her face.

"The prince is very handsome don't you think your grace?"

Ginny cracked one of her eyes open and raised an eyebrow at the servant. "Yes, he is beautiful."

Missandei smiled slightly and Ginny frowned, wondering what her friend was getting at. "Is something wrong Missy?"

The servant's smile widened. "No your grace, but I did hear something interesting when I was walking back to your chambers after obtaining some water from one of the keep's maids."

Instantly Ginny was alert. "Indeed? And what was that?"

Missandei continued to pour some of the perfumed oils into the water of the tub, the smile becoming more of a smirk as she held her silence. "I happened to come around a corner and see two people walking down the hall away from me. And it was the prince and his sworn shield Ser Arthur Dayne."

Ginny blinked. Missandei had somehow managed to learn all of the names of the Kingsguard in the few hours they had been in the keep. She explained to Ginny that when she had served Kraznys as a translator, it had been very important that she know the names of people who came to see him right off the bat. If she hadn't, she had been given no food.

The red head had burned with rage and she longed to resurrect Kraznys just so she could burn him again for what he had done to her friend.

"And I take it you overheard something of importance between the two of them?" she prompted and Missandei smiled and nodded. "They were talking about you your grace."

Despite her mask of indifference, Ginny could feel her curiosity peak slightly and sat up in the tub fully, opening her eyes. "Well then? What did they say?"

Missandei took some of the other perfumed oils and rubbed them in her hands before massaging them into Ginny's shoulders. "I couldn't hear everything of what they were saying but I heard Ser Arthur ask how the prince's conversation with you went. He saw you approach and then left quietly to give the two of you some privacy."

"And?"

"The prince seemed to think it went well," Missandei continued not looking at Ginny but the smirk on her face was still plain to see. "He said he was…intrigued by you."

Despite herself a small self-satisfied smile came to Ginny's lips. "He did, did he?"

"Indeed your grace," Missandei replied as she walked back to the bed to lay a few things beside the dress Ginny would be wearing for the evening. "And then I heard Ser Arthur say you were the most beautiful woman he had ever seen."

Ginny allowed herself a small shy smile as she lay there in the tub. It was odd being thought of as beautiful by someone other than Harry in this life. She had grown up as the youngest of seven siblings and had become used to have six over protective brothers.

Now that she was in turn the eldest of all of her siblings in this life, and what the people of Mereen were calling the mother of dragons to boot, it was a little strange.

Ginny knew something odd had happened when she had touched Septimus two years ago as she had felt a sort of energy rush up her arms, into her head, down into her chest all the way to the tips of her toes.

When she had looked in the mirror it had been easy to see that her hair had turned a slightly darker red, her blue eyes were even more vibrant and her skin was even fairer.

Dragons had a deep seated connection to magic so she chalked her subtle changes up to that and tried not to think too much on it. Though Sirius had experienced the effects of dragon magic as well when he had touched Faebian as well.

"Well then," Ginny said leaning back in the tub. "Perhaps I should thank Ser Arthur when I see him next."

"But that wasn't all your grace."

"Oh no?"

"No, the prince agreed with Ser Arthur."

"He did?"

"Indeed."

Ginny wasn't sure why the notion pleased her other than it was one more indicator that perhaps she hadn't been crazy when she had had that vision in the House of the

Undying and perhaps this prince would be able to give her the happiness that she had felt then.

"Well then," she murmured to herself. "It seems the game has just changed."

"Game your grace?"

Ginny smiled at her as she got to her feet in the tub and brushed the dripping water off of herself while the servant held out a towel. "Yes Missy. It's the game those in power all play. Some have more advantages than others like my father and I and some don't know how to play at all. But in the last few years that my father and I have ruled Essos, I've learned one very important lesson. And that is when you play, you play to win. You die otherwise."

Missandei wrapped the towel about the princess and Ginny took charge of rubbing herself dry before she walked over the desk, dropping the towel and rubbed some of the perfumed oils into her skin. There was a peculiar spice merchant from Qarth that Ginny bought all of her perfumed oils from when he came to Mereen and she liked his products best because the oils had the ability to not only perfume her skin but bring out the natural scent that her body gave off.

It was a particularly intoxicating brand that was made from a rare golden flower that grew in the Dothraki Sea.

But Ginny loved it.

Once she had rubbed the oils into her skin and the back and front of her neck, Ginny turned around so Missandei must help her dress.

It was in her house colors of gold and had a flowing skirt with two golden bands connecting across her upper body only to crisscross in the back before connecting to the back part of the skirt. There was a wide piece of material across her chest, leaving her stomach and shoulders bare but for the bands that held it all together. The bands themselves appeared bevelled like they were dragon scales.

Missandei had brushed her scarlet curls to the right side of her head and fastened them in place with a golden pin to compliment the ensemble. The pin was that of a gryphon with its wings fanned back and the eyes were made of black pearls from a jeweler in Asshai.

Ginny chose to wear no chain about her neck and the only jewelry on her person other than the pin was that of a golden arm band that wound around her right bicep in the shape of a serpent with rubies for eyes.

She had seen it when she and Sirius were still living in Qarth and had been fascinated by it.

After another few minutes where the red head rubbed some of the scented creams into her hands she heard a knock on the door of the adjoining bedroom.

"Come!" she called out knowing it was Sirius.

When the door opened to indeed reveal her second father, he paused upon seeing her and nearly went slack jawed.

"Seven hells Gin," he muttered. "Am I going to have to crucio some men tonight for looking at you the wrong way?"

The red head chuckled. "I hope not."

Sirius made a frustrated sound in his throat. "So do I. I don't want to cause a civil war for killing some nobles son for staring at you as they no doubt will."

Ginny raised an eyebrow as she looked him over. "I don't think I will be the only one who will be getting attention tonight. You clean up nice."

Instead of being attired in his house colors that evening, Sirius was dressed all in red and the embroidered golden collar of his rich ruby tunic was open so the column of his throat could be seen.

He bore the same crown he had worn that morning on his head and on his right hand was a golden signet ring. He looked incredibly imposing if not more so than the way he had appeared earlier that day.

Sirius smirked at her appraising look and held out his arm to her as she stepped into her shoes. "Are you ready to go then?"

Ginny thanked Missandei for helping her before giving her the rest of the evening off and turning to her father. "Shall we go? We do not want to keep the dragons waiting."

Sirius snorted. "Pardon me daughter, but the opinion of a rather looney dragon is not something I am concerned with."

Ω

The moment she and Sirius stepped outside of their doors, the four members of the Creed who had not been given the evening off by Sirius moved to stand in a square formation on either side of them.

Orius, Gavreen, Sion and Visrael had made it a habit of becoming the more personal shields of the king and the princess and though it really was not necessary, Ginny was glad for the companionship all the same.

Orius had proven to be a good friend and a talented advisor in the art of war and his opinion was something that Sirius and Ginny trusted explicitly.

So when he had told her this afternoon that he found King's Landing to be a disagreeable place in comparison to Mereen, Ginny had known that he had meant it.

He never offered his opinion unless asked but when it was given both Ginny and Sirius could depend on him to be truthful.

"How did the conversation with Gulian go?" Ginny asked quietly as she and Sirius strode down the empty hallways of the keep towards the throne room. "Have any more problems arisen?"

Sirius shook his head. "No, the opposite in fact. Magister Rio has recently been in contact with Gulian and informed him that the raids on Morosh have lessened exponentially since the port city agreed to join our empire."

Ginny felt a little pleased. "They fear our power."

"It would seem that way," Sirius replied. "As long as Morosh was not under our protection, the pirates seem to have thought that they had a port to raid whenever the moment suited them. Now that they have the protection of our armies and our dragons and gryphons, it has made the raiders cautious."

"Good," Ginny said nodding sharply. "Morosh has suffered enough underneath these sea rats and under Ilio's treacherous nature. It is about bloody time for some peace."

Sirius chuckled. "That is something I will drink to. But in the meantime when I return I still think we need to look into production of that weapon we were discussing earlier.

Something like that would be key for warding off invaders from the walls of the cities. It would also ensure that we do not need to intervene every time there is a serious conflict."

"But let us hope there will not be too many of those," the red head replied and then she sighed. "Now if I only knew what to do about my conflict."

The look Sirius gave her was a soft one. "Did you speak to the prince at all in the time that I was gone?"

Ginny took a deep breath and cast a few silencing charms about them. They had been speaking quietly as it was but she wanted to ensure what she was about to say was never heard by another living soul but her father. The Creed carried on, used to their king and princess hiding their words from anyone around them.

"He was very…easy to talk to," she said carefully. "Prince Rhaegar is one of those individuals who seems to be decidedly…cautious in everything he does."

"That can be the sign of a good ruler," Sirius suggested and she nodded. "It can. I can already see that he is different from his father in the ways that are important at least.

Time will tell as I become better acquainted with him."

Sirius nodded. "Have you made any decisions regarding his character?"

"Not yet," Ginny replied. "He seemed rather apologetic on behalf of his father for Aerys eagerness about this wedding. It seems the ancient Valyrian lineage is very important to the dragon king."

Sirius snorted. "The man should focus more on the running of his realm and the preservation of his family than the past."

"I don't think the prince has any fond feelings towards his father," Ginny observed quietly and Sirius looked at her sharply. "What makes you say that?"

Ginny pursed her lips. "When I mentioned the king's eagerness for this marriage to take place, Prince Rhaegar's eyes darkened very slightly and a muscle in his neck jerked. I got the feeling that he wasn't angry about the idea of this marriage, but about something his father had done. I don't know what that might be though."

A contemplative looks came into Sirius's dark eyes. "Interesting."

"Yes it was."

"You did not speak with the queen at all did you?"

Ginny shook her head. "Not yet. But I am certain she will ask to speak with me before long. It is her son that I may be marrying after all."

Ginny hadn't thought much of Rhaella Targaryen other than what she had seen in the throne room that morning. Though she was aging slightly, she was still a beautiful woman and Ginny could see where Rhaegar got his looks from.

"See what you can find out from her Gin if you should have an opportunity to speak with her privately. Learn what you can about her husband and the state of affairs in Westeros but do it subtly. I want to know the political climate of this place, who to trust and who not to trust if we are going to be connected to this realm."

The red head nodded. "Of course."

By this point, they had come to the doors of the throne room and as they had walked down the halls Ginny could see the sky darkening through the windows and she could see that the candles had been lit by the servants. Bronze braziers were burning near the pillars and there had been garlands of flowers draped around every pillar and window they passed. The sweet smell of incense and the heady scent of wine was heavy on the air and there was the faint sound of music wafting down the halls towards them.

"The king seems to be going all out for this affair," Ginny observed.

Sirius snorted. "Given what we are Ginny, I am not a person who is easily impressed and I know you aren't either. Be sure to give the prince a run for his money while you are here. He may have the looks of an Adonis but I know that you know well enough to not let a pretty face fool you. You aren't naïve or impressionable like so many of the other nobles' daughter's I have seen here. They would sell their souls for a chance to be Prince Rhaegar's bride."

"None of them are princesses' father," Ginny replied quietly. "They don't have nearly the amount of responsibilities that I do. They've grown up in glass houses in which they look down on the world from on high and they have no idea how it works or their place in it. They don't run an empire alongside their fathers…I do."

"Aye, you do," Sirius said and his voice had deepened with pride. "And that makes you special and better than every single one of them. You know what its like to have next to nothing and then to be on the level of a slave and to see into their mind…we both do. And that is why we are different."

Ginny blushed slightly at her adoptive father's praise.

The murmur of voices beyond the door of the throne room grew louder than and her father turned to her. "Are you ready for another fun filled evening of politics and verbal sparring?"

Ginny smiled at him and shrugged. "It's no different than what we do at home."

"Aye it is. Come on then."

He waved his hand and the massive doors of the throne room opened to reveal a chamber filled with people.

It appeared far more different than the throne room they had seen earlier that day. The bronze braziers wrapped around the six massive pillars were ablaze with firelight. Tables appeared to be set up all over the room but there was a large area on the floor before the dais and the throne for dancing.

Ginny witnessed many women in elaborate dresses like her own along with men in rich doublets in their house colors with gilded swords at their waists. Garlands of flowers were wrapped around the pillars and soft music was playing from the musicians hidden in specific corners of the throne room. The dark sky outside of the window above the throne was full of sparkling stars and the whole atmosphere was one of quiet mirth and relaxation.

That all changed as soon as the two Gryffindors arrived.

As soon as the two of them along with their guard walked in, the room dulled to a thick silence as all eyes turned to the visiting royals.

 _Gods you would think that no one here has ever seen two foreigners before,_ Ginny thought to herself. _We don't look that different do we?_

All of the guests appeared to be decked out in their finest and Ginny could feel hundreds of eyes on her and Sirius as they strode deeper into the throne room.

Looking ahead to the raised dais where the monstrosity of an iron throne was sitting, Ginny happened to see King Aerys sitting on said chair with his wife and son standing by his side. Prince Rhaegar was dressed in deep red with his platinum locks neatly brushed back and brushing the edge of his collar. The garments must have been perfectly tailors for they highlighted every muscle in his body and almost looked painted on.

 _I wonder if he knows what his form does to some of the women in this room,_ Ginny wondered in amusement to herself.

She could feel his eyes on her and glanced up through her pale red lashes to see him watching her closely. The moment her blue eyes met his purple ones, the violet orbs darkened ever so slightly.

He didn't smile but Ginny didn't expect him to either. It might draw more attention and right now, she had enough of it.

That was when she saw the chairs sitting beside the throne that were obviously meant for her and Sirius. Though her expression didn't show on her face, Ginny felt rather disgusted with the small stone seats that had been set aside for them.

She knew why the chairs were smaller however. Aerys wanted to assert that though there might have been a foreign king visiting, he was still the dominant power in the room and would be treated as such.

 _Little does he know._

Ginny turned to her father and saw a peculiar smirk on his face. She looked back at the chairs just in time to see him wave his hand out of the corner of her eye.

There was a gasp from many of those gathered when the stone chairs were instantly transformed into their thrones from Mereen. The winged chairs of the Gryffindor rulers were sitting next to the iron throne then, making it look rather shabby in comparison as they sparkled in the candle light.

"Now that's much better," she heard Sirius mutter out of the corner of his mouth and she smirked quickly.

Sirius nodded to Aerys as he calmly mounted the stairs to the dais and sat down beside the king.

Ginny for her part as she seated herself had witnessed the gleam in Aerys purple eyes but she couldn't tell whether or not it was from the display of magic or the fact that Sirius had inadvertently snubbed him.

Perhaps it was a bit of both.

Once they had seated themselves, Sirius turned to the crowd of people watching them and simply raised an eyebrow as if to ask what was wrong.

Immediately the conversation and music and dancing resumed and Ginny had to pretend to cough to cover her laughter.

She leaned over to whisper in her father's ear. "You certainly like to make a dramatic entrance don't you?"

He chuckled deep in his throat. "Is there another way to enter a room?"

She smiled. "There are times when I think you have changed and then there are times when you prove me wrong."

"Again Gin, you forget that I like to be unpredictable."

"And gods know how well that works out," she muttered.

Their small talk was cut short when King Aerys turned to them then. "I trust that the afternoon allowed you to acquaint yourself better with the keep and its people Princess Ginevra, King Sirius?"

Ginny smiled at the rather blatant display of false sweetness. She knew that there was a part of Aerys that had yet to be shown.

But right now was not the time and so she simply smiled at him instead. "It was your grace than you for asking."

Aerys opened his mouth then to continue but Rhaegar beat him to it. "May I request a dance your grace?"

Ginny smiled at him when he held out his hand to her and nodded before getting to her feet. "I would be honored my prince."

She took his hand and the two descended the steps of the dais into the crowd. As they moved to engage each other, Ginny could once more feel many eyes on her.

She and Prince Rhaegar bowed to each other to begin the dance and as they moved about each other, the closeness allowed them to speak.

"You seem rather tense tonight your grace," Ginny observed if the tightness in his shoulders was any indication. "Are you alright?"

"Of course my princess," he replied. "Matters of diplomacy are rather stressful that's all."

Ginny frowned. "I didn't realize any were being discussed as yet."

Rhaegar's eyes darkened slightly and Ginny realized right then that he was speaking of his father. He had obviously come from having a conversation with him and some things must have been said that the prince did not like.

And they had to have been about her and Sirius.

 _Let them talk,_ she thought almost lazily to herself. _Aerys may rant and rave all he wishes but I will pay no more attention to what he wants than I do the waves of the sea crashing on the shoreline of this city. It is all meaningless…white noise in the background._

"Your presence and that of your royal father's has caused quite a stir amongst our nobles Princess Ginevra," the prince went on. "And my father's hand and I have had to spend some time pacifying them."

Ginny's frown deepened. Gods would the power struggles never cease? She understood that her and Sirius's presence was the cause for much talk and scheming but it seemed that Gavreen had been right on the ship when he posited that Ginny would be part of the increasing political climate whether she wished it or not.

 _A den of vipers,_ Visrael had called it.

Ginny's smile then was nearly all teeth because in part it was going to be rather fun demonstrating to these old fools just how much power House Gryffindor had and how she and her father intended to use it.

Rhaegar saw her smirk and then it was his turn to frown at her. "Is something amusing your grace?"

Ginny's smile turned somewhat gentle when she looked up at him then. "I was merely pondering the many games those in power play."

To her surprise, a shadow of fatigue crossed the prince's beautiful face. "Indeed, it can be rather tiresome."

In that moment Ginny was able to realize that he wasn't all that different from her. The only difference in these political games they both played was the fact that Ginny had a father who loved her and supported her.

Prince Rhaegar didn't it seemed. Ginny felt her heart soften a touch as she looked at the prince. "You seem to be handling it rather well though."

The look he gave her was one of obvious surprise. "I do?"

Ginny nodded. "I've only known you for a few hours but you seem to be the sort of person who is very calm in nature. That can be ideal when dealing with a crisis. Panic spreads like wildfire but so too does peace. And if that is something you can keep up than I am of the mind that you will make an excellent king."

The beautiful prince looked surprised but a little pleased as well from her assessments and Ginny saw some of the tension visibly leave his face. "Thank you your grace."

She smiled back up at him. "I wouldn't call it a compliment my prince. I simply call things the way I see them."

He chuckled deep in his throat. "A brave but sometimes dangerous way of doing things."

Ginny shrugged as the dancing continued and they moved about each other. "What is the sense in risking anything if it does not amount to success? Sometimes one has to be dangerous in order to accomplish their ends."

The prince's smile deepened. "And I believe no one knows more about danger than you your grace."

Ginny looked up at him in surprise for the tone of his deepening voice had become slightly teasing. His violet eyes had grown slightly soft as he looked down at her and Ginny felt her own resolve melting somewhat.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

To her surprise, his smile turned slightly playful. "I know of few women since Rhaenys and Visenya Targaryen of old who would lead men into battle on the back of a dragon and take on a khalasar before decapitating the head of one of the most fearsome khals the Dothraki have ever known."

Ginny blinked. _Good lord how much does Westeros know?_

"You'll find when I am properly motivated your grace," she said quietly. "There's not a lot than I cannot do."

"I don't doubt it," he said again sounding amused. "You'll find that there are very few women who can make a claim to such things."

Ginny was about to answer when the manner of the dance cause the two of them to turn slightly and her line of sight landed on the opposite wall of the throne room. There she happened to glimpse a young girl standing off to the side of the room by one of the pillars. She was attired in a stunning green gown that framed the color of her emerald eyes perfectly. Her hair shone like burnished gold and she looked no older than fifteen but was very beautiful all the same.

But the expression she was gazing at Ginny and Rhaegar with was certainly not one of beauty at all. Her eyes were narrowed at them and there was hate in her gaze, along with something else as well…jealousy.

Ginny frowned slightly, wondering on who this girl was before she turned her attention back to the prince.

"I have a question for you your grace," she said slowly.

"And that is?" the prince asked.

"I believe if I describe this person to you, you may know whom I am referring to. There is young woman here with blonde hair and green eyes. She looked no older than four and ten or perhaps five and ten and she has not taken her eyes off of us the entire evening. Who is she?"

To her surprise a grimace covered the prince's handsome face quickly before it disappeared. "I apologize that you have to be the subject of her attentions my princess. That is Cersei Lannister, the daughter of my father's Hand."

And suddenly it all made sense.

Given how close Lord Tywin was to the king and that Ginny had yet to meet the man, it wasn't a far leap of logic that he may wish to betroth his daughter to the future king.

And seeing the looks this girl was sending her it wasn't that far off to imagine that this girl fancied herself a queen and was incensed when some foreign princess arrived to potentially take her place.

Ginny didn't know why but she felt rather amused by all of this. _Imagine how desperate people are for a taste of the crown. I have my own so perhaps that's why I'm not as impressed by everything I see here._

"I take it that that would have been a rather disagreeable match for you your grace?" Ginny asked sweetly and to her surprise, Rhaegar laughed.

Ginny had wordlessly thrown some silencing charms up about them as they danced because the last thing she wanted people to hear was their conversation and now she was glad she had.

"I feel that there are few things that would have been more disagreeable your grace," he said causing Ginny herself to laugh as well.

"And why is that?" she asked.

He smiled down at her, a gesture which caused her heart to skip a beat slightly. "With the better acquaintance between each other your grace, I would be more than happy to tell you all the ins and outs of my father's small council and what mad fools many of them are. But for now, I think that is something that is too harsh for your sensibilities."

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "My sensibilities Prince Rhaegar? You have just left off saying that I lead men into battle and take the heads of khals with a single stroke and now you are concerned with my ability to handle the knowledge of a few scheming fools?"

His expression turned rather serious. "My apologies your grace, I did not word that correctly. The schemes of those on the small council and court in general are such that I do not wish to talk about them when I do not have to."

Ginny felt herself soften somewhat. "Well that I can understand. Politics does become tiresome at times. Perhaps we should not talk about it now. Tonight is a night of celebration."

"I agree," he replied. "Would you mind telling me about yourself then your grace? I would like to know more about the woman who may become my wife."

To her surprise, Ginny felt a small amount of heat rushing to her cheeks. She felt rather touched that this man was taking an interest in her personally because part of her had been a little worried deep down that if she did agree this would be a political union and nothing more and that was the last thing that she wanted.

His asking about her personally showed that he was interested in her as a person and not just a princess or how she could benefit his realm.

 _Perhaps this will have nothing to do with my fears at all,_ the red head thought to herself.

"Well," she began. "I am the oldest of three siblings, but I am certain you are aware of that already. When I am not assisting my father in the ruling of our realm, I like to walk through the streets of Mereen and talk to the children."

"You do?" the prince asked.

He didn't sound surprised, instead he appeared intrigued.

"Yes," Ginny replied. "Something my father always posits to me is that the care of every child in our realm is the most important aspect of a country. They are the next generation and if they remember the standards and legacies we set for them long while we are here than they are that much more likely to remember them after we are gone. A realm is successful not just because it runs on trade or on its military or its monies. It runs successfully because of the people in it. Something my father has instilled in me and my brothers though I don't think they quite understand it yet is to have a healthy respect for the people in our realm. We don't wish to rule through fear and it is one of the reasons we command such loyalty. Every child in our realm is precious because they represent the future of the Gryffindor Empire. My father would like to see his legacy continue and that is only going to be possible through the people that we rule over."

She paused in the middle of her lengthy explanation and looked up to see that Prince Rhaegar was watching her with an unfathomable expression in his violet eyes. For a moment he looked thoughtful, and then he looked almost wistful and then he simply looked sad.

Ginny had a sudden desire to reach up and touch the side of his face but she resisted given that they barely knew each other. "Are you alright your grace?"

He gave her a small smile. "Of course. Are you and your father close your grace?"

Ginny smiled as she thought of all the ways she and Sirius helped each other heal after the war and through their desire to help others. He was her second father who had changed so much since he had fallen into Westeros and was someone better than he had ever had the chance to be in England.

"Yes," she said softly. "We are."

The prince hummed thoughtfully in his throat and cast his eyes briefly in the direction of the dais where Aerys and Sirius were sitting talking quietly.

The former looked rather tense while the latter looked perfectly relaxed. Ginny followed the prince's line of vision and caught sight of what he was looking at. She had a feeling she knew what he was thinking.

"And you your grace? Are you close with your family as well?"

She decided not to mention his father specifically as that would be redundant. She knew he wasn't close with him, who could be after all? Aerys seemed to be a lone wolf and single minded in his determination to have everyone kowtow to him. A man like that wouldn't inspire fear and loyalty least of all respect from his subjects.

Soon enough there would be many who would hate them and the reign would be brought to a swift and decisive end.

"Some of them," the prince said quietly and his beautiful face darkened somewhat, causing Ginny to look at him with some concern. She did feel a little sorry for him given that it didn't seem that he had a father figure in his life that he was able to look up to. Aerys might have been that way once but she couldn't even picture him like that now.

He blinked and turned back to her. "But family dramas are another thing that we will have to address when we have become better acquainted your grace. Go on."

Ginny smiled but indulged him. "I do think my favorite past time is engaging with the children in Mereen. They are what I am most invested in when I am not engaging in political matters for my father."

She was hesitant to speak too much of politics with him just yet. As nice as Prince Rhaegar seemed with his calm tone and breathtaking looks, Ginny knew it would be foolish to start speaking specifically on matters of the Essosi Empire. So she kept everything very vague.

"Who taught you to sword fight?" Rhaegar asked and Ginny smiled. "There was no one person who instructed me on how to wield a blade. My father was one of them and then the captain of our guard Orius was the other."

The music continued and the candles began to burn lower and yet Rhaegar and Ginny carried on their dance.

It was only after Ginny began to feel the heat of the throne room and Prince Rhaegar looked similarly uncomfortable from it as well that he beckoned to Ser Arthur across the room and the knight followed the two of them out into the hallway of the keep towards the gardens.

Ginny cast a meaningful look at Sirius as she went and Gavreen immediately followed them after Sirius nodded at him to.

Miraculously the disappearance of the royal couple was not paid as much attention to other than by Rhaella, Sirius and Aerys all of whom watched their children walk away with varied thoughts in their heads.

Aerys was of the mind that his plan was working to full effect and his primary emotion was one of the glee. Rhaella was mostly worried for her son. He had been rather intrigued and somewhat impressed by the exquisite princess from across the Narrow Sea when she had spoken with him earlier and she wanted to ensure that her firstborn didn't give his heart away too soon and that this Ginevra Gryffindor would be a good choice for the realm.

Sirius was the most calm of the three of them. He trusted Ginny to make the right decision above all else and he knew she was an intelligent young woman who did not make decisions rashly. He knew she knew what she was doing.

But the thoughts of their parents were hardly on the young couple's minds as they moved to stroll through the gardens, Ginny's hand on Rhaegar's arm.

"I must thank you your grace," Ginny said calmly when they were out of earshot of the keep and the guests. "It was beginning to be rather warm in there."

"It is my father's rather unhealthy obsession with fire," the crown prince commented. "He always likes to have as much of it near him as possible."

Ginny grimaced slightly, a frown marring her stunning features and she hoped that the shadows were long enough that the prince didn't see it. But her silence must have been enough for him to guess what she was thinking.

He didn't say anything or comment on it for which she was grateful but at the same time, the knowledge of who his father was and what he had done hung between them like a heavy curtain one would need to clear away in order to let the sun in.

"And now that I have told you nearly all about me," Ginny went on. "What about yourself Prince Rhaegar? Other than being an accomplished harpist, what else is there?"

Her attempt at distracting him worked and he gave her a small smile which in the moonlight made his features appear all the more stunning.

"There are times when I do like to go out into the city and play on a corner for those who pass by."

Ginny smiled up at him in surprise. "You do?"

He grinned down at her. "Aye, I do. I don't like to let people know that it is me so I often wear a cloak to disguise myself. But with hair like mine it is often difficult to do so."

Ginny chuckled as she took in the silvery blonde locks. _Yes I would imagine that would be difficult._

"With members of the Kingsguard standing around it can be sometimes difficult to remain anonymous so whenever I do go, I have either Ser Arthur or Ser Barristan disguise themselves and stand somewhere down the street. It's close enough so they may keep an eye on the situation but not too close so that people know who they are and thus who I am."

"And what do you do with the money you make?" Ginny asked curiously.

Rhaegar shrugged slightly. "It all depends on who has the greatest need. There are times when I give it to the nearest poor person I see, sometimes it goes to an orphanage that I pass."

Ginny felt her heart soften slightly as she looked up at the prince. Beneath the stunning looks and somewhat cool veneer lurked a good heart.

Again she was rather pleased with how things were turning out. "It doesn't bother you being out and about with the people of the city?"

"Not at all. In fact I find it rather enlightening. There are so many people who come to this city day in and day out and you can learn so much about how the people think if you only disguise yourself. People are far more willing to talk to you then."

Ginny nodded. "I agree. There are times when I disguise myself and go into the city to speak with merchants and captains and those who run the orphanages to see their current state of affairs."

There was a pause in conversation as she remembered something she had been meaning to do.

"There is a particular orphanage in this city that has captured my attention," she said slowly and he looked down on her, giving her his full attention. "Go on."

"It seems badly in need of some repair. While I am here I mean to make some alterations to it. For example every child should have their own bed and their own toys. The women who run it seem to be doing an excellent job but I wish to take some of the burden from their shoulders and am considering taking some of the children into my service. They would go back to Mereen with my father should I choose to remain here. But I don't want to see any of the bright minds of children hindered because of their birth and position. Some could be merchants and healers and knights, people that the realm is sorely in need of. I wish to give them those opportunities."

She glanced up then and saw that a soft look had entered the prince's violet eyes. "What is it?"

"Nothing," he said. "But you are a very intriguing woman your grace."

"Flattery my prince?" she asked teasingly.

"Not at all," he said. "Like you I value the truth. And the truth is that you are very intriguing."

"Hmm," Ginny hummed. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

He cocked his head to one side. "I am not sure yet. But I do know that I want to find out."

Ginny smirked to herself. "Well then you are welcome to try your grace. I look forward to the challenge."

Ω

The following morning, Ginny woke with a lazy smile on her face feeling completely and utterly relaxed.

The feast had carried on until the early hours of the morning but Prince Rhaegar had shown her back to her rooms before it became too late.

Once they had reached her door, Ginny had thanked him for the evening and the conversation as she had found it most engaging. He had thanked her for it as well and then kissed her hand before giving her a soft smile and striding off down the hall with Ser Arthur at his heels.

Ginny had watched him go for a moment before she turned and went into her chambers with Gavreen taking up residence outside.

After she had come into her chambers, Missandei had helped her ready for bed and had been full to bursting with questions about the prince.

She had once been a demure shy little thing but now that she served a princess and a king and Ginny had given her friendship and protection, it had brought her out of her shell a little bit.

"The prince is an….interesting man Missy," Ginny explained as she took the gryphon pin from her hair. She removed the serpent bracelet from around her arm and handed it to the servant to put away. "I think at the very least we will have an interesting friendship."

"There is no shame in wanting more than that your grace," the former slave said quietly and Ginny shot her a look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that in the time I have known you your grace, you are someone who feels things deeply. You love deeply and that is visible in all that you do. It's no surprise you would want to feel the same deep feelings for the man you may give yourself to, prince or no."

And again, Missandei was constantly surprising her. She observed so much simply by keeping quiet and watching people.

That was something that made her an invaluable friend for Ginny.

"I don't think you will be disappointed with Prince Rhaegar your grace," she said and Ginny frowned at her as she shrugged into her black sleeveless nightgown. "And how on earth do you know that?"

Missandei smiled. "One is far more likely to learn about the goings on in the keep from the servants than they are from the nobles themselves."

Ginny nodded. "I suppose that is true."

Missandei didn't say much more after that as she seemed to sense that Ginny wanted to think for after the red head had readied herself for bed, the servant slipped out the door to her own quarters.

Instead of going to bed right away, Ginny had stepped out onto her balcony to look at the stars that were out in full force out over the city.

She wondered for a moment which of the gardens she had seen in the keep were the one she had seen in her dream. A part of her was tempted to indulge herself and disillusion herself to go and look around but she dismissed it due to fatigue a few minutes later.

Sirius would no doubt be returning soon and she wanted to be here when he did so they might have a conversation about the evening and what he had discussed with Aerys.

They had been deep in conversation when she and Rhaegar left the inner keep for the gardens and what her father had been discussing with the mad dragon was a matter of interest to her.

However the moment she had lain down on her bed to wait, her eyes had closed, she had drifted off and when she awakened again, sunlight had been coming through the window.

Ginny blinked and sat up before smiling softly to herself.

 _I must have been more tired than I thought._

Rising from her bed, she crossed the room and took her robe from its hook before wrapping it about herself and tying the robe tight.

After this, she ran a brush through her curls before striding over to the door between her and her father's adjoining chambers and knocking on it to see if he was awake.

"Come!"

Ginny smiled and pushed the door open into her father's chambers before walking in. Her chambers and his chambers were arrayed in the same style, both with large beds, balconies, and fireplaces all done in the same sort of coloring of red and mustard tones. The only difference was that his chambers had an added small wing in which a desk was situated with maps behind it and two chairs one in front and one behind it.

Sirius was sitting behind the desk already dressed with several stacks of letters, one on either side of him waiting to be read and answered or documents to be signed.

He looked up and smiled when he saw her. "Good morning Gin. I didn't expect you to be awake this early."

Ginny blinked. "How early is it? I had thought with the sun that it is much later."

Sirius smiled. "It is still a few hours before noon."

Ginny rubbed her shoulder absently. "Huh, I thought that I had slept for much longer."

"I would have thought that you would have too given how late the celebrations went last night."

"It was quite a party," Ginny agreed. "Although very different from the parties we used to have in Gryffindor tower. Do you remember those?"

Sirius chuckled deeply. "Of course I do. I still remember the time James and I smuggled in firewhiskey to the dorms after Gryffindor won the House Cup. Gods, but that was a party. I remember waking up halfway out the window of my dorm and thinking to myself, I don't need a broom to fly, all I have to do is spread my arms."

Ginny's face was red from laughing at this point. "I remember the party after Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup when I was in my second year of school. Harry had caught the snitch and the lions were going mad with celebration. I still remember the patronus Harry shot at Draco and how the boy nearly passed out from fear."

Sirius laughed. "I wish I had been there to see that. It must have been priceless."

"Oh it was. I wish I had had a camera so I could have taken a picture and framed it. But it wouldn't have been the first time Malfoy got in over his head."

They paused for a moment, both remembering the past with nostalgic smiles on their faces. After a moment, Ginny blinked and walked over to stand beside him at the desk. "What are you doing?"

Sirius held up a document. "This is a letter I am drawing up to commission the construction of that weapon you and I were discussing. Apparently a powder has been discovered by one of our traders in the Basilisk Isles. It is the same properties of gun powder that Harry told you about before all of this and if we can construct a sort of catapult mechanism that would allow this powder to project something that would be used to decimate enemy ships."

"Like a cannon?" Ginny asked.

Hermione had been reading a book one day on the way to Hogwarts when Ginny was in her fifth year and Hermione was in her sixth. It had been a book on the revolutionary war that had taken place in America and Ginny had been rather fascinated by the weapons known as cannons and muskets that had been used.  
Hermione had lent the book to her and Ginny had read it three times before returning it, mesmerized by the pictures. She had been impressed for in many ways Muggles were more advanced than wizards.

"If we did figure out a way to construct some sort of catapult that could be placed on the walls of our port cities to defend them from pirates, that would be a weapon that would be sought after the world over," she mused.

"Aye," Sirius said. "Which is why I have commissioned the chemists guild in Mereen to begin searching for ways that constructing such a weapon would be possible."

"We wouldn't even have to use our navies then," Ginny mused. "Ship battles would become obsolete."

"Don't get too excited yet Gin," her father said with a chuckle. "We have yet to construct them. I have also received word from Magister Iben in Tyrosh that the raids from the pirates along the coastline of the city are becoming worse."

"It's the Step Stone Islands," Ginny said rather grimly. "Those pirates have used that land as a base of operations for years. They weren't half so bold before we conquered Essos, so why are they risking their necks now?"

Sirius looked grim as well. "It's because they sense that their way of life is coming to an end and they are afraid of that happening. Essentially, they do not think there will be anything more to lose by continuing to try and raid cities."

"Invading the Step Stones is something we should have thought of doing earlier," Ginny put in. "They've been allowed to grow up for too long."

"Aye but there is still the matter of location," Sirius said. "Remember that the Step Stones are right in the middle of the Narrow Sea and if we make a claim for them, Westeros may be just as quick to step in and say the islands belong to them. It is a grey area. However it is a shame because some of my spies in the Step Stones have informed me that they have discovered plants that had untapped magical and medicinal properties that would be of great use to us in our hospitals. There are also large deposits of moonstones in the islands that would be ideal for grinding and creating remedies. You remember the properties of a moonstone from potions don't you?"

"Of course I do, it was one of Snape's favorite ingredients to use in potions."

"I don't doubt that the moonstones they have here will be different than the ones in England, but I cannot let such a notion pass me by without looking further into it first."

Ginny sighed. "Well I suppose that is something we will need to deal with later. But the pirates cannot be allowed to continue as they are. Perhaps we could negotiate a treaty with Dorne since they are the closest to the islands and have the best claim to them."

Sirius looked intrigued. "An interesting idea. Go on."  
"Most of our trade in Westeros comes from Dorne does it not?" Ginny asked.

"Indeed."

"Well then perhaps we negotiate the sale of the islands to us in the form of a contract."

"What makes you think the Prince of Dorne would go for such a thing?" Sirius asked. "He just as well might want the islands for himself and I have no desire to even contemplate invading Westeros. My empire is big enough as it is. There are still parts of Essos that I have not seen."

"Does not the Prince of Dorne have a newborn daughter?" Ginny asked. "In exchange for the islands with their untapped magical resources in their plants and moonstones, we negotiate a betrothal between his daughter and Godric for when they are older. I very much doubt that Prince Doran would refuse the notion of making his daughter a queen one day for the sake of some islands that he has not conquered."

Sirius had begun to smile as she laid out her plan. "What an interesting idea. Allow me to speak with your step mother about it and Gulian as well. I need to hear back from my spies in the Step Stones about the magical quality of these entities. It would not be good to begin writing wedding vows if the magical properties of the Step Stones are not as poignant as we think."

"Very well."

Just then there was a knock on the door and both the king and princess looked up, slightly startled.

"Come!" Sirius barked.

The door opened to reveal Orius standing there with a piece of paper in his hand. He immediately stepped inside and closed the door before turning back to them. "My apologies your graces for interrupting but a letter has arrived from one of the queen's servants for Princess Ginevra."

Ginny exchanged a look with Sirius before stepping forward and taking the piece of parchment from Orius's proffered hand.

It was sealed with the red wax sigil of the dragon and Ginny paused a moment before opening it.  
 _Princess Ginevra_

 _It would give me great pleasure if you would join me this afternoon in the terrace gardens. I wish to make better your acquaintance._

 _Rhaella_

It seemed rather odd that she didn't sign it with her title of queen and Ginny wondered why for a moment.

"What is it?" Sirius asked, watching her face carefully.

"Apparently the queen wishes to meet with me," Ginny mused. "I had wondered when we might run into each other. We have spoken both with the king and the prince but not her. I wonder what she wishes to speak to me about."

"There is a saying that mothers have a deep connection with their sons," Sirius said. "We have seen how eager the king is for this marriage to take place. And you have spoken extensively with prince Rhaegar. But we have yet to speak with the queen. She most likely wishes to feel you out and see what your intentions are."

"Very true," Ginny said. "I suppose I should go bathe and dress. It wouldn't be wise to keep the queen waiting."

"Do you wish for me to accompany you?" Sirius asked.

Ginny shook her head. "I don't think that's necessary and I don't want to intimidate her. You do have a reputation for being somewhat…fierce after all."

Sirius chuckled. "Very well daughter I will hold off on any other meetings with royals. Before you came in, I received a message from Lord Tywin Lannister the king's Hand that the king wishes to meet with me today, no doubt to discuss a betrothal contract."

Ginny raised an eyebrow at her father. "I take it you have the one we discussed before coming here on hand?"

Sirius's answering smile was all teeth and the only response Ginny needed.

"Alright then," she said. "I wish to be there for that but it will no doubt take place later in the afternoon."

"I will have a servant send for you when it is time," her father replied.

"Well then" the red head said with a smirk. "It seems we have our marching orders."

Ω

Instead of wearing her house colors that day, Ginny chose a gown in blue the same color of her eyes and which made her skin seem even more of an ivory white. It was an open backed gown and Missandei pinned her curls up in the style of Mereen in long braids wrapped about her head. She wore no other adornments than that and instead readied herself to go and meet Rhaegar's mother.

The moment she opened the door, Gavreen and Visrael jumped to attention and stood on either side of her.

Ginny smiled at them. "Good morning gentlemen."

"Your grace."

Ginny was already familiar with the terrace garden that Rhaella was referring to as she had seen it yesterday afternoon on her walk with Rhaegar.

It had looked to be a lovely escape from the keep and she could understand why the queen wished to speak with her there. It was separate from the rest of the keep and all of the curious eyes that would be wandering about.

It also made sense that the queen would wish to speak with her privately as she had not as yet.

The moment the terrace came into view, a shaft of sunlight slanted downward onto Ginny's shoulders and she smiled.

It was a bright sunny day in the capital and the atmosphere moved to lift her mood despite the tenseness of the coming situation with Aerys.

The queen was sitting on one of the chairs at the glass table beneath a gazebo like structure over hung with flowers. On the table was a crystal container of wine along with several plates of cheese, fruit and different types of bread along with several cakes.

There was a member of the Kingsguard standing in the corner of the terrace but she couldn't remember his name.

Rhaella herself was attired in a pale green gown which made her hair seem almost white and her eyes an even more vibrant shade of purple.

But it appeared she wasn't alone.

As soon as she focused on the scene in front of her however it didn't take Ginny longer than a second to realize that the queen wasn't alone.

A small figure who had been sitting on the chair next to the queen and swinging his legs back and forth leapt off the chair and began to run as fast as he could on his unsteady legs toward her.

Ginny immediately slipped out from between her guards to meet the little boy who had so much excitement on his little face that she could feel it.

He skidded to a stop in front of her, seemingly remembering his manners and did an adorable little bow that caused Ginny to have to cover her mouth with her smile.

When he looked back up at her again, he appeared about to explode. "Mama said the gryphon lady was coming to see us today? Are you her?"

"Viserys don't be rude," the queen called.

Ignoring propriety, Ginny got down on her knees in front of the little boy so she could look him in the eye.

Visrael and Gavreen had retreated to the corners of the garden path so they might guard the entrance and thus had left Ginny alone with Prince Viserys and the queen.

"Yes I am," she replied. "Your mother told you about me?"

Viserys nodded eagerly. "Mama said you were coming to visit us from across the sea. Where across the sea is that?"

Ginny smiled at him, her previous nerves melting away at the sight of such innocence. "I live in Mereen your grace. It's a city on the edge of the ocean just like this one and I live in a large pyramid."

The little prince screwed up his face in an adorably confused gesture. "What's a pyramid?"

"Well," Ginny began. "It sort of like a large triangle made of stone. You know what a triangle looks like don't you?"

Viserys nodded.

"Well my home is sort of like a large triangle but its made of stone and is enormously large. We keep all sorts of animals in the base of the pyramid, like elephants and our gryphons and our dragons."

Viserys eyes grew as wide as dinner plates. "You have dragons?!"

Ginny's own smile grew. "We do. You didn't see them yesterday when we came?"

Viserys shook his head looking a little put out. "I was sleeping. Mama says I have to rest every day because I'm little. But I'm not tired. I'm a dragon…and dragons don't need sleep."

"I'm sorry your grace, but you're wrong," Ginny said. "Dragons do need sleep. It's very important for them because they can't grow strong and breathe fire without it. Do you want to grow big and strong?"

He nodded.

"Well then you need sleep to do that. You aren't going to be a fierce dragon if you don't get your sleep."

He seemed convinced so Ginny slowly got to her feet and reached out her hand to take his. He took it without a second thought and all but pulled her back over to the terrace where the queen was waiting patiently.

"Did you hear that Mama?" he asked in excitement. "The gryphon lady says I can be a dragon too!"

"She has a name Viserys," the queen chided her son gently. "It's Princess Ginevra."

Ginny smiled. "That's alright. Ginevra is a bit of a mouthful."

She turned to the little prince who was still holding her hand. "You can call me Ginny if you like. It's much easier to say than Ginevra. Would you like that?"

Viserys nodded eagerly and for the first time his mother smiled at the red head. "Thank you your grace that will be easier for him."

"Come sit down Ginny," the prince replied, pulling her towards a chair and taking to her new name with gusto.

"Viserys remember your manners," the queen said.

The little prince nodded before waiting until Ginny sat down and then doing the same in his own chair.

"What do you think of court so far Ginevra?" the queen asked as she once more seated herself in the chair.

"You can call me Ginny as well your grace," the princess replied. "If I am going to be part of this family, you should call me that. It's what my own family does."

The blank expression on the queen's face melted somewhat and she appeared to relax as if she had been bracing herself for something terrible. "Very well then. What do you think of court so far Ginny?"

"I've only been here a day your grace," Ginny replied. "I hardly think I am an authority on the subject yet. But I will say it is very different from Mereen."

"In what way?" the queen asked.

"It is a little cooler for one. And a bit crowded as well. In Mereen we are far more spread out. There certainly seem to be a lot of nobles who reside at court."

Rhaella sighed and looked apologetic for a moment. "That will be my husband's doing. He fancies himself a dragon and thus needs an audience to bear witness to his might at all times."

She sounded almost tired when she brought up the subject of Aerys and Ginny looked at her curiously.

Before she could raise her own questions on the subject however, the queen spoke again. "If I may asked a question Ginevra?"

"Of course your grace."

"You have not given my husband's cousin an answer about the possibility of a marriage to my son and yet you and your royal are visiting from Mereen. Why is that?"

Ginny threw up a few nonverbal silencing charms and ensured they were invisible and that the knight standing there did not hear them, before she answered the question.

"May I be frank your grace?"

"Please."

Ginny pursed her lips. "I am reluctant to involve myself in a situation that is so…new. I've never been this far from my home before and from some of the information that some of our traders have told us regarding the state of affairs in Westeros left me feeling a little concerned."

The queen frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"I had always planned to marry someday," Ginny said even though she wasn't entirely sure of that fact. "But I had never planned to marry outside of Essos. I wanted to be close to my home and my father and my family as I assist them in the ruling of our realm."

"I believe I can understand that," the queen said.

"So when news came from across the sea regarding this marriage I was more than a little surprised. I don't like to do anything or make any decisions without properly thinking them through first and having all the facts, as does my father. So we decided to come and see your realm and then make a decision for ourselves."

The queen was silent for a moment, thinking. "Be that as it may it seems that my son has taken a liking to you."

Ginny blinked. "Forgive me your grace, but it has been only one day. How could you possibly know that?"

"I don't know for certain," the queen amended slightly. "But I have always been able to read Rhaegar rather well and he is an intelligent young man with a good deal of ambition. I have no doubt he will make an excellent king one day. But to do that, he needs to have the right person ruling at his side. And I feared that his father would choose one of the more shallow children of the major lords to be his queen."

"You do not like any of the nobles daughters here your grace?" Ginny asked raising an eyebrow.

"It's not a matter of liking my dear, it is simply about how one deals with them, something you will have to learn if you marry my son."

"I can understand that," Ginny said. "We do have our own political intrigues in Mereen. People are constantly trying to steal the attentions of myself and my father, but is that not the case with any noble and someone with greater power than them?"

"Then you already know how the game is played," the queen said with a small smile. "Good. That knowledge will serve you well."

"You have been playing that game for a long time haven't you your grace?" Ginny asked.

"Indeed my dear and everyone who comes to this keep thinks they know how it is played but they do not. And time proves them wrong. But I don't know if that will hold true for you my dear. You may surprise us."

Ginny felt both amused and flattered. "And may I ask why you think that is your grace?"

"Your own words have been the answer for that," the queen said. "You assist your father in the ruling of your own realm. There is no nobles daughter here at court who can claim as much. Therefore you know far more about the game than them."

"I suppose there is some truth to that," Ginny said. "But I have not made my mind up yet."

"About?"

"About whether or not this decision is a good one. I know how to play the game your grace but there is also the matter of wanting to play and not wanting to play. And I haven't decided which of those I wish to choose."

Rhaella raised an eyebrow. "I see. Would you tell me more about why? As I said, it seems that one son and now my second one has taken a liking to you. I'm not sure what I think of that. I do worry for my sons a good deal."

"My own mother is the same way," Ginny said with a smile thinking of Vellaena. "She worries for my little brothers constantly."

"You have three of them do you know."

"Yes."

"Then Queen Vellaena knows exactly what I am referring to. Worrying for one's children is a normal part of being a mother, you will understand more fully someday I am sure."

Ginny had thought about being a mother many times in the past. She had wondered whether or not she and Harry would marry after the war and have a family of their own.

Now that that was not to be however and she had accepted it, the possibility of perhaps starting such a future with the crown prince made her both nervous and excited.

 _I do wish my mother was here to tell me what to expect though,_ Ginny thought somewhat sadly.

Rhaella looked at her in concern. "Are you alright my dear? I haven't frightened you I hope."

Ginny chuckled. "No your grace. It is a mother's prerogative to worry about her children. I can liken my own mother to a lion for how she defends us."

Rhaella appeared somewhat amused. "In House Targaryen we prefer to think of ourselves as dragons, defending our young but I do not know how true that is."

"It's somewhat ironic that all of the great houses to stand for their sigils," Ginny mused. "Some wolves and stags and lions and even fish stand for honor, fury, cunning, intelligence, fierceness…"

"And what does your house stand for?"

Ginny paused. "Our house words are, _where dwell the brave._ My ancestor Godric Gryffindor was someone who valued courage in the face of even the darkest terrors above all else. I believe that is why he survived the Doom. I want House Gryffindor to be known for its bravery, not recklessness."

"Well then my dear," Rhaella said selecting a piece of cheese from the plate in front of her. "It seems that that may come true in your stay here."

The red head gave the queen a grim smile. "Perhaps you are right."

"Your graces."

The queen and the princess looked up to see that a servant had approached bearing a note in hand.

"It's alright Jinnisae," the queen said. "What is it?"

"A letter for King Sirius to Princess Ginevra your grace," Jinnisae replied. "He is meeting in the small council chambers with his graces King Aerys, Prince Rhaegar and Lord Tywin as well as the rest of the small council. King Sirius asked for your presence your grace."

Ginny got to her feet then before curtsying to the queen. "Duty calls it seems my queen."

Rhaella looked amused. "I'm afraid it's never done my dear."

Viserys looked up from the toy he was playing with. "You're going? Already?"

Ginny bent down and kissed his cheek. "I'm afraid I have to Viserys. But I'll be back to see you again soon. Perhaps then I will be able to show you my dragon. Would you like that?"

The little prince's eyes widened and he nodded eagerly.

"Very well then. I will see what I can do."

And then the red head turned and strode out of the garden with her guards on her heels to make for the small council chamber.

She knew in her heart that what happened in the next few hours or so would determine whether or not she stayed or left.

 _Duty is never accomplished for a ruler indeed,_ she thought with a smirk. _But what am I to do? The game is on…and I hope the Targaryens are ready to play._

Ω

 **So I was going to include the meeting with Sirius, Tywin, Aerys, Ginny and Rhaegar in this one, but this chapter grew to be extremely long so I decided to put it in the next one. We'll start to see Aerys insanity come out a bit more in the next chapter as he will not take kindly to the fact that a noose is being put on him in regards to how the Gryffindors are going about this marriage. Sirius and Ginny are going to play hardball and even though Ginny is attracted to Rhaegar, she's got more on her mind than his looks. Anyway, that's all for now and I'll see you in the next chapter. Don't forget to review and happy reading everyone!**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

As Ginny walked down the halls of the keep with her guards towards the throne room and the small council chamber that lay behind it, she calmly went over her thoughts on what she was going to say when she and Sirius met with the king about the proposal for this marriage.

Sirius would ensure they had a copy of the contract on him and thus they would ensure that their own ends were met.

They intended to play hardball in this entire affair. No matter how much Ginny liked Rhaegar and was starting to warm to the idea of perhaps marrying him someday, she wasn't about to let her guard down and forget about his crazy father.

The halls of the red keep were much quieter than they had been before. Some of the people she ran into with Gavreen and Visrael at her side stopped and bowed to her which she inclined her head to but otherwise she remained focused on arriving at the throne room and the small council chamber beyond it.

When she did walk into said throne room, she was also not surprised to find it practically empty with the members of the Kingsguard standing lining the sides to the throne.

There were two guarding the doors at the back which led into the small council chambers and Ginny could hear voices coming from it.

She heard Sirius' deep thunderous voice and the higher one of King Aerys along with a voice that was somewhat unfamiliar but which might have belonged to the Hand of the King Tywin Lannister.

They didn't appear to be arguing, but that could change at any time.

 _I had better get in there before things get ugly,_ Ginny thought to herself. All of a sudden, she began to feel a little nervous. _This is it. What happens in that room will determine whether Sirius and I leave King's Landing for good or I stay here for the next three months an embark on a journey that will change my life._

"Are you well your grace?" Visrael asked quietly so the only other ones who heard were Gavreen and herself.

She nodded. "I am. Just considering what I am about to say."

A few seconds passed then before she squared her shoulders, took a deep breath and strode forward towards the door of the small council chambers.

Two of the guards standing watch there bowed to her as she passed and Ginny gave them a brief nod before entering.

The moment she passed through the archway and walked into the cool quiet, all conversation that was being had, died away.

The small council chamber was situated in an airy corner of the keep where there were large windows looking out into the gardens of the keep with a warm breeze blowing through them to cool off the inhabitants within.

The floors were made of deep yellow tiles and the pillars in the room were a peculiar shade of off white and there was a long wooden table in the center of the room in which a good deal of men were sitting.

She recognized Lord Steffon among them, along with Prince Rhaegar sitting next to his father who was at the head of the table on the right hand side as she entered. His hand

Tywin Lannister was on the left side by the king and there were several other men that she didn't recognize either.

Sirius was sitting at the opposite end of the table from Aerys with Orius and Sion who were standing behind him and he and the other king appeared to be in a staring contest of sorts.

It was broken when Ginny entered the room and all of the men seated but Aerys got to their feet and bowed to her.

Ginny swept into a deep curtsy. "My lords."

There were a few murmurs of your grace, but otherwise all remained silent.

Ginny glided over and sat down in the chair next to Sirius while their guards took up residence behind them.

There was a moment of silence where the red head looked into the eyes of every man seated in those chairs before she turned to King Aerys and raised an eyebrow. "Are we not here to discuss business? Come then, let us discuss."

Her words seemed to shake those members who had been silent back to life, but Sirius was the first to speak again.

"Now then," he said. "My daughter and I have come to Westeros to see for ourselves whether or not your prince is an ideal match for her and as far as my own power goes, I do not have anything to gain or lose by this marriage taking place. I hold dominion over a realm that is enormously wealthy and powerful and Westeros does not have anything to offer me that I would find enticing enough to constitute a betrothal contract. The only reason House Gryffindor is here at all is because my daughter was curious about the logistics of such a marriage. So tell me therefore…why should the gryphon empire agree to this?"

It was a loaded question and Ginny was hard pressed to keep from smirking. When he wished to, playing hardball was something Sirius was very good at. It was also a legitimate question as well. Aside from her inquisitive nature there was no other reason as to why she was here.

Ginny knew full well that if she had not had that vision in the House of the Undying two years ago the chances of her being here right now were very slim. It was her own curiosity that had propelled her to come and see whether or not Prince Rhaegar was that man. On arrival and discovering that he was, her curiosity and interest had increased to the point where she was open to the idea of staying, but not without some further prompting.

Several of the lesser members of the small council exchanged glances amongst each other but ultimately both the gryphon king and princess' gaze remained fixed on Aerys and his son and Hand at the other end of the table.

Aerys eyes darted around slightly and Ginny got the distinct impression that he was unused to being in such a position and was decidedly uncomfortable with it.

A smirk pulled her lips back. _He's used to being the most powerful man in the world and now he's faced with two people who are more powerful than him. Knowing that has got to rub him the wrong way._

Tywin Lannister didn't seem keen to say anything at the moment and Ginny also wondered if he had decided he was not going to speak for the king because he did not want this union to take place. Prince Rhaegar it seemed was thinking rather intently and didn't have much to say at the moment. As he was the one who was essentially being sold, Ginny didn't figured he would be the one with the least to say although she did wish to see if there was enough of a fire in him to convince her to stay.

So she turned to Sirius. "Perhaps that was too difficult a question father. Shall we lay out our terms first? It might convey our intentions more clearly."

Sirius smirked. "An excellent idea daughter."

He waved his hand and in the blink of an eye the contract appeared in front of him on the table.

Ginny heard several sharp intakes of breath and the eunuch with the perfectly bare head and rather garish robes that reminded her of Dumbledore flinched slightly.

Sirius didn't seem to notice the slight interruption for he picked up the contract and levelled it before his eyes.

Ginny coughed slightly, doing her best to hide her laughter.

"House Gryffindor is not a lineage that enters into any sort of decision lightly or without careful consideration. It has been how we have survived all these years. Therefore we are not prepared to enter into any sort of betrothal agreement until the following terms are met. And if they are not, we shall leave."

There was no persuasiveness, no manipulation in Sirius's tone. Every word dropped from his mouth like it was a bar of lead and she could tell that he meant it. If what they had discussed back in Mereen wasn't met, they would leave and she couldn't and wouldn't blame him if that happened. He had been very wary about coming here and so had she but she was prepared to leave if the contract was not agreed upon.

Sirius waved his hand then before anyone had a chance to say anything and the contract disappeared from his hand before reappearing in front of Aerys and Tywin as well as Prince Rhaegar.

Some of the nobles in the room flinched again but those three were the only ones that didn't.

Aerys snatched up the contract and looked it over his eyes scanning the page almost erratically. Ginny could see odd lights flashing in his purple eyes.

After a moment he tossed the contract back onto the table. "You expect House Targaryen to agree to this?"

Sirius folded his arms across his chest. "I didn't expect anything coming here. I am fully prepared for a refusal. As I said, we have nothing to gain or lose from receiving an answer of no here today. If this contract should be agreed upon well then perhaps we can come to some sort of terms. But if not, as I said there will be nothing else that you will be able to do to convince us to agree."

The king then turned to Ginny. "And do you agree to this Princess Ginevra?"

The nearly blatant attempt at emotional manipulation caused Ginny to raise an eyebrow. She knew full well that if Aerys Targaryen had a daughter he would have left her no choice in a marriage so the fact that he was asking her if she had a choice now betrayed how badly he desired for this marriage to happen.

Perhaps badly enough for them to agree to their terms.

"I do your grace," the red head said calmly. "I have no intention of entering into a marriage without first knowing the mind and the character of the person to whom I will bind myself to. I don't think this is unreasonable."

"You would think to manipulate our king so?" Tywin Lannister asked finally. His tone hadn't changed at all and Ginny knew for a fact that he bore the Targaryens no allegiance only if they had something that would benefit him. And since the one person in this room that he might use to further his own position was being potentially given to someone else, Ginny could tell he would be pushing for this marriage to not go through even though in terms of political power there would be no one else who could match the Targaryens but the Gryffindors.

Sirius's answering smile to the Lannister lord was all teeth. "Manipulate my lord hand? Is that not what kings do best?"

There was a tense silence throughout the room and then Ginny was surprised when Prince Rhaegar spoke up after having finished reading over the contract.

"Forgive me your graces," he said. "But this does not seem altogether unreasonable like Princess Ginevra has posited. If we agree to these terms it would mean that the princess were to spend three months in the capital, learning about our kingdom and what would be expected of her were she to be its queen. Following this, the favor would be returned and I myself would spend the same amount of time in Mereen. Is that not correct King Sirius?"

The gryphon king nodded. "It is your grace."

"Well then I fail to see the problem," the prince went on. "Sons and daughters of wardens and powerful lords send their children to be fostered all the time. Granted I am a little old for such a concept but the principle holds true nonetheless."

"Your grace would it be wise for you to spend three months in a foreign realm just so the curiosity of others can be satisfied?" Tywin asked. "You are to be our king someday.

Should you not be here learning all that you can about the realm you are to one day rule?"

Surprisingly prince Rhaegar looked rather amused. "I have been groomed since birth to be the next ruler of this realm Lord Tywin. I know the inner workings of this kingdom inside and out and I have nothing but love for it. I myself am rather curious about what three months in Mereen would entail. It would give me the opportunity to learn about another realm, a new way of ruling…and surely that cannot be a bad thing. What sort of king would I be if I were stubborn and obstinate and refused to consider new ideas? Let the people think I am on an extended mission of diplomacy. I have no doubt I will be able to rule better if I am exposed to more than one way of doing it."

For once Sirius looked rather impressed and Ginny found herself even more intrigued. _It seems that prince Rhaegar is the only one here with any sense._

She and Sirius knew it would be a gamble getting the Targaryens to agree to such a contract given what they had learned of King Aerys thus far, but sometimes taking risks was the only way to truly learn about a person.

And it seemed she had been allowed a glimpse of what prince Rhaegar was truly like.

She kind of liked it.

Aerys face had turned purple by this point and Ginny wondered whether or not it would turn the same color as his eyes before it seemed Tywin had had enough and jumped in.

"The crown will need time to consider this proposal your graces. May we give you our answer by the end of the week?"

"My course Lord Lannister," Sirius said, his smirk rather vicious. "Take all the time you need."

He got to his feet then and offered his hand to Ginny. "But know this. My daughter and I are prepared to wait the week for an answer to our terms. However if we have not received an answer by the end of the next seven days we will be departing from Westeros for Mereen. And we will _not_ be detained."

After taking Ginny's hand, they and the guards swept out of the room, leaving an ominous silence in their wake.

Steffon Baratheon eyed his king who looked like he was about to begin sputtering like a kettle that had been left on the fire for too long. He was torn between laughter and a subtle feeling of dread.

He had no doubt that Aerys would go to the ends of the earth to make Ginevra Gryffindor the new queen. But to challenge a mad dragon in his own home.

 _The man's got nerve I'll give him that. He must have known exactly what he was going to do when he came in here today. I just hope our king doesn't lead us into damnation trying to keep the Gryffindors here. I have a feeling they will bring out the insanity in him._

He shivered slightly to himself. _But whether they agree or not…I have a feeling that Sirius and Ginevra Gryffindor are about to change all of our lives. Whether that's for good or bad well…only time will tell._

Ω

"Well," Ginny said to Sirius later. "Given the circumstances, I think that went rather well."

The two of them were sitting in his solar area in his chambers discussing the events of the morning.

Ginny was a little surprised that Aerys hadn't exploded like a pot on the fire but chalked it up to the fact that he hadn't expected them to put restrictions on the idea of this marriage. Because of that they hadn't gotten to see what he was really like.

She had a feeling she would before long.

He had been behaving himself for the past day or so but Ginny knew it wouldn't be long before he returned to who he really was…a mad man obsessed with fire and magic and dragons.

And they had two of those things.

Ginny had a sneaky feeling that after seeing a taste of what she and Sirius could do, there would be no one else that would hold Aerys attention.

She knew she would be able to handle him but at the same the whole situation would need some careful handling.

Sirius chuckled as he handed her another document to look over. "Time will tell Gin, time will tell and I think we have just about a week of it."

When the two of them had returned from their room, a member of their guard Jacelyn had informed them that a good deal of documentation and letters had arrived for them from Mereen.

Sirius had immediately used the two way mirror to call Gulian and receive information about how the city was running.

His steward had informed him that all was going well. He had been receiving information from Morosh on Magister Rio who was still uncovering evidence of Ilio's corruption and the deep ties he had had with the Dothraki.

Ginny had cursed when she had heard that as the horse lords had been rather quiet since she had taken Barbo's head.

"The horse lords are something we are going to need to take care of," she muttered to Sirius as she looked the letter over. "They're too brazen and sooner or later they are not going to be happy with simply roaming their lands and maintaining their way of life."

Sirius nodded but she could see that something else was on his mind. "What is it?"

He sighed and looked up at her before waving his hand and ensuring that silencing wards were once more up around the room.

"You and I Gin," he said. "Our whole family…we're conquerors. We take what we want and when we want change we bring it about. I've always been a rebel, so have you. You know that. But I never want to be the sort of person that can slaughter an entire people group because of the sins of a few. Barbo is gone but there are a still few likeminded horse lords. The Dothraki are a war like people and we if take away their way of life then they will die out. But they cannot be allowed to continue as they are. The only solution that I can think of for the moment is that of making our cities impenetrable so that raids once more become impossible."

Ginny nodded. "It is a tough position. The last thing I want to do is be a butcher. But the Dothraki will never assimilate to our culture and our way of life. It will be a problem that needs to be thought on carefully.

Sirius nodded and signed another letter before putting it down. "Leaders lead from the front Gin. And sometimes we do need to make the tougher decisions. It won't always be easy…but our kingdom comes first."

The red head nodded. "And speaking of our kingdom…do you think they will agree to this union between the two of them? We did lay out some steep terms. I have a feeling King Aerys is not used to be challenged and so that might work against us."

Sirius set the letter he had been reading down and pierced her with a look. "Gin, the only reason that we are here is you. I meant what I said in the small council chambers. I have nothing to gain or lose from this union. What matters to me is your happiness. If you think that Prince Rhaegar is going to be the one to give that to you than who am I to stand in your way? I just want us to know what we are going into with eyes wide open and knowing everything. A rational decision to know if the prince is going to treat you are your deserve is to see how he operates outside of the environment that he is used to. He surprised me today…I did not think that he had it in him to be so rational and pragmatic and that sort of personality trait will work in his favor when he becomes a ruler. But I want to see the man he is before the crown is placed on his head. The choices he makes now will also determine his future. He seemed rather keen to get to know both you and appeared to be the only one in favor of this decision."

To her horror, Ginny felt her cheeks heating slightly and she could tell from Sirius's amused half smirk that he had noticed as well.

"Do you like him?" he asked gently.

A frustrated noise slipped from between the red head's teeth. "I don't know yet. I know I prefer him to his father and he seems to be one of those men that I can have a genuine honest conversation with, but he pressures of having a throne can change all that. Power does change people and whether that is for good or bad, only time will tell."

Sirius nodded. "So we continue with what we decided. We stick with our plan and should they disagree than we will leave. I am fully prepared to portkey out of here should Aerys decide he is going to go completely insane and try to imprison to get you to agree to marry his son. I have given portkeys to every single one of our servants and guards. Should either you or I decide that a return is necessary because the king will seek to keep us here than I will activate the portkey and every single person that is here in our service will be transported back to Mereen without a moment's delay."

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "And if he should decide to wage a war to make me his son's queen?"

Sirius chuckled. "I do hope that prince Rhaegar has enough rationale to dissuade his father from such catastrophic aims but should he not and ships are sent across the Narrow Sea to land in Pentos or Braavos or Volantis or Myr…we and our dragons and our armies will be waiting for them to set them all ablaze."

Ginny gave a grim nod. "This is a war the king cannot win and even if war is declared if I were to say no…somehow I do not think his vassals will fight for him. Given everything I have heard and observed from the people here along with what Missandei has told me, they all fear and hate Aerys Targaryen. It has only been due to the guidance of Tywin Lannister that the realm has prospered."

Sirius got an odd look on his face at the mention of the Hand of the King and Ginny picked up on it. "What is it?"

"There is something about Lord Lannister that…I'm not sure. He has the look in his eyes of a man that is hungry for power."

"He's the Hand of the King," Ginny said. "Does he not have enough of it already? Besides last night when Prince Rhaegar and I were dancing I happened to notice a young girl of about fourteen or fifteen staring at me and him together. If looks could kill I would have been dead on the floor from the amount of anger she was sending me. It was only after the prince explained who she was that I understand. She was Tywin Lannister's eldest daughter Cersei. Apparently the Hand has been seeking to make an alliance with the crown through marriage for years and Cersei was his best chance for making that happen. Apparently our coming along and potentially spoiling it did not make the Lannisters happy."

Sirius chuckled. "Lord Lannister strikes me as a man who likes to rule and it doesn't matter how much power he has, there will never be enough. If he cannot have the throne he will seek it for his descendants."

Ginny shrugged. "Be that as it may, we have messed up their plans and I don't think his daughter will thank me for that. Gods, she reminded me of Pansy Parkinson watching Draco Malfoy when he danced with another girl at the Yule Ball when I was in my fourth year."

She shuddered. "Any girl who is that possessive of something or someone that is not hers has got to be equal parts insane and dangerous."

Sirius burst out laughing. "You may be right at that Gin. If you do decide to say yes to Prince Rhaegar, I can imagine the girl tearing out her hair in rage."

Ginny chuckled. "And what a sight that would be."

The gryphon king looked back to the stack of letters on his desk with a smile. "And speaking of marriage alliances and the potential things that can go wrong with them, I had been thinking rather seriously about your idea from earlier regarding a potential alliance between us and the Dornish. While I do like the idea of an alliance between us and them should this one not work out because it would give us even more resources I also wish for Godric to make his own choice in this alliance. Perhaps when they are a little older I could invite Prince Doran and Arianne Martell to Mereen where she and Godric could meet. Perhaps we could even foster her there for a time so the two could get to know one another."

Ginny smiled. "That's an excellent idea. No matter what I do want to see Godric happy and if that means he will be happy in a potential marriage alliance like me then the happier I will be."

"Let's see if his mother agrees about that," Sirius said chuckling. "Godric is only barely a year old and has just started walking. There's plenty of time on a marriage alliance from that."

All of a sudden Ginny had an idea.

"Father do you wish to lay claim to those islands right away?" she asked.

Sirius frowned. "Perhaps not right away, but I do wish for them to come under Essosi control before some other dominion in Westeros does make a claim. A supply of moonstone like the ones the Step Stones boast of is something that would be of great value to us and no one else would know how to use them as they are decidedly magical."

Ginny pursed her lips considering something. "Well than how about this. If the Targaryens should agree to our terms and we get this in writing than in exchange for me marrying the prince, you would receive the Step Stones."

Sirius blinked once…twice…three times before he frowned at her. "I don't want to barter with you Ginny. I don't want to barter with any of my children. That's why you're my children."

"I know," Ginny said. "But even while I am here deciding to make this arrangement permanent, we should get something to better our empire. The Step Stones have quantities that only we know how to use and such elements would not only better us but those in the kingdom as well. We may as well get something from this marriage should it happen."

Sirius glared at her. "Ginevra Molly Weasley Gryffindor, the only thing I intend to get out of this alliance is your happiness. That is what matters to me and not the largest deposit of moonstones and precious gems in the world. I refuse to barter with any of my children."

Ginny smiled at him. "But you wouldn't be bartering. Wouldn't you rather have the islands now as opposed to waiting to see whether or not Godric likes Arianne Martell so an alliance can be made? This way you'll have them much faster. And this does not mean you are taking away my choice. I am still choosing whether or not I want this marriage. If for whatever reason the prince reveals some hidden madness that I did not see before, then we will leave and we can see about getting the Step Stones another way."

Sirius gave her a hard look. "I'm not sure I like it."

The beautiful red head chuckled again. "You don't have to like it father. All you have to do is think about it. Promise me you will."

The gryphon king seemed to be considering his own thoughts before he sighed. "Alright. I will think about it."

"Good," Ginny said getting to her feet and placing her hands on the edge of the desk so she could lean forward. "Now I think I will go for a walk to clear my head. Politics do give me a headache after a while."

Sirius chuckled. "In that case, I believe I will return to Mereen for an hour or so to check on Vellaena, the triplets and Gulian. I did not go back for court today and I wish to see how it went."

Ginny nodded. "Hug Vellaena and kiss the triplets for me then."

"I will."

She made for the door when he called her back. "And Gin? One more thing."

She turned back.

Sirius's face was the picture of perfect sincerity. "Whatever you decide the Step Stones don't mean as much to me as you or Godric or Edric or Haedric or Vellaena do. You cannot put a price on family and that is something that I've learned the hard way after I lost everything in my first life. And it is something that I _will not_ do now. That's something I want you to think about."

Ginny felt a sudden lump in her throat as she looked at the man who had become her second father. She felt she was finally beginning to heal from the wounds of the past and he was a big part of that.

"Thank you," she said quietly before slipping out the door.

Ω

Ginny decided to take Missandei for a walk about the gardens with her as Gavreen and Visrael trailed behind them. The two women were silent for a good long while and no one could blame Ginny for her deep thoughts.

The small council meeting from that afternoon as gone well but having only been in Westeros for a grand total of twenty four hours, the red head had a feeling that they could become much more cutthroat than that.

Missandei as well seemed to be lost in thought but Ginny had a feeling she knew the reason why.

About two years ago when she had wrested control of the Unsullied from Kraznys in Astapor, Missandei had gotten to know one of the captains she had asked them to pick from amongst themselves.

His name had been Grey Worm but on the day Ginny had freed him, she had told all the Unsullied that she wished for them to give themselves names that gave them pride…whether that be their birth name or any other.

He had changed his name from Grey Worm to Arioch. Ginny had been curious as to the choice but she hadn't questioned it.

When they had come to Mereen, she had seen Missandei and Arioch in each other's company more and more often and wondered at what might come of it.

She had contemplated asking her friend about it many times but always held back. She didn't know what horrors the former slave had suffered at the Hand of Kraznys to make her so hesitant when it came to opening her heart to someone but she would not push her.

Missandei had agreed to serve her and never wanted to leave because she had told Ginny that Sirius was the first man to ever treat her kindly or with respect. So many others had used her for her body or for her talents in translation as she spoke many languages that she had forgotten what genuine kindness was like.

Given that every single member of the Unsullied had been cut when they were young so they forgot all forms of individuality or empathy or self-worth, Ginny had been understandably horrified and appalled.

Sirius though he had known of the training of the Unsullied since he had been in Essos far longer than she had was absolutely livid when he learned of how far it actually went.

About a year ago, he had come to Ginny with a plan that she wholeheartedly agreed upon if they could make it work.

The Unsullied were absolutely loyal to them and Sirius and Ginny would never be able to take away the pain they had suffered at the hands of the masters but there was one thing they might be able to give back to them through the use of magic and potions and that was their sense of manhood.

Ginny had no idea how to regrow organs but given the fact that Sirius had been much older than she had when he had died and had spent a few years cooped up in Number 12 Grimmauld Place before those events, he had an idea of what to do. Given the Black family's dark history the process of removing or restoring organs was not something that out of the realm of believability for them.

Sirius had read a few books on potions for organ restoration in his own house when he had essentially been kept there to be out of the public eye and the ingredients for such a thing he had never forgotten.

When he had been a member of the Second Sons, he had come across merchants far and wide who had sold such things that could be used to supplement some of the magical ingredients. One of the most key aspects of a potion to restore or regrow organs however had been moonstones as they were used in almost every healing potion. Sirius had discovered a deposit of them in the basilisk isles when he had been serving as a merchant and had bought as many as he could get his hands on.

When he proposed the idea of perhaps giving the Unsullied some of their dignity back, Ginny had been all for it.

Once they had brewed the potion the first thing they had had to do was test it and so they had called in Arioch as he was now named and without explaining what it was, had put it into his drink.

It was only about a week later that he had come to them and asked if they had anything to do with it as he had discovered growth where there had previously been none.

It was then that Ginny and Sirius had explained. They weren't sure if it would work until they actually tried it on someone who had lost an external organ and they didn't want to put the word out and get everyone's hopes up until they were sure.

Upon hearing this, Arioch almost looked as if he wished to cry and had simply said a heartfelt thank you.

Now knowing that it would work, Ginny and Sirius decided to distribute all the potions throughout the rest of their thousands of Unsullied throughout the past two years.

The results had been striking and if anything it had guaranteed them even more loyalty as not only had the ruling monarchs given their soldiers their freedom, they had given them their dignity back.

After this, Sirius decreed that he still wished for them to continue serving the royal family, however if some did wish to marry and begin families of their own, he would not stop them.

There were a few that chose to leave, but surprisingly many chose to stay.

Ginny had a feeling that it had as much to do with being overwhelmed with all of the changes they had had to face as much as it was a fear of going through life completely different than they were before.

There was a sense of normality in the life they had lived and something different could be rather overwhelming.

"Are you well your grace?" Missandei asked.

Ginny glanced up at her friend and gave her a gentle smile. "I'm fine Missy, just lost in thought."

She had told her friend all about what had happened in the small council chambers earlier and the servant had been surprisingly sympathetic.

For her part, Ginny had gotten a glimpse into the madness of Aerys that afternoon and while she had known it was coming, it was still a tad disconcerting all the same. However she had been rather impressed with Prince Rhaegar's rather impassioned speech about how in order to be a better ruler sometimes someone had to try a different way of doing things.

Ginny knew she liked him, but it was a wholly different matter to feel a kinship with someone you were getting to know and to love them.

Ginny had a desire to love the person she married before she married him as difficult as that often was in the world she and Sirius now lived in.

Her second father had fallen in love with his wife before he had married her and now they had a relationship that was the envy of many so why couldn't she have that as well.

The red head would fully admit that she was an idealistic person. She wanted the best she could get out of life and she didn't think there was anything wrong with that. She also knew her magic afforded her opportunities that it didn't any other woman and so that was something she was very grateful for.

But there were also times when she wanted to use that gifting that she had to help others.

And speaking of helping others….

A sudden sound in the underbrush caused her to turn to her right and just as the Creed stepped forward, a small boy with pale silvery blonde hair bust from the bushes on the side of the garden path and ran right for her. "Ginny!"

The red head immediately waved off the guard and stepped forward to catch the little prince in her arms. "Viserys! What are you doing out here alone?"

The little dragon looked sheepish. "I was looking for you."

"And where is your nurse?" Ginny asked. "Shouldn't you be with her little dragon?"

Viserys pouted. "She wanted me to sleep. I'm not tired. It's the middle of the day and I wanted to play! So I came looking for you."

Ginny was aware that Missandei and the guard had faded into the background, hidden by the trees though she knew they were still there.

She sat down on the nearest bench with the little prince still in her arms and now settled on her lap. "I love that you want to spend time with me Viserys but what about your mother? She must be worried about you."

Viserys pouted. "Mama won't be worried. All she wants me to do is sleep anyway."

Ginny chuckled. "Well I suppose I can play with you for a little while, but when someone comes looking for us as they no doubt will, you need to go back to your mother alright?"

"Alright."

"Good."

Ω

Meanwhile in the small council chambers of the red keep four men were having a very different conversation.

Aerys seemed to be even more erratic than usual while Tywin, Steffon and Aerys were still seated at the table.

The prince was still looking over the contract that the Gryffindors had brought with him while his father was pacing the floor like a caged animal.

"The nerve of them!" he sputtered. "They seek to question my power by taking my son away from me?!"

"Father for the love of all the gods don't be so dramatic," Rhaegar said suppressing an eye roll at the overt display of theatrics. "This is not some hostile takeover, it is a diplomatic exchange. The Gryffindors are testing us. I know not what sort of man King Sirius is but he is not the sort of person who makes idle bluffs I can tell. If we do not agree to this, they will leave."

"So let them leave," Tywin broke in. "The last thing that is needed your grace is for there to be a foreign power to be influencing the throne."

 _No my lord it is far better for you to do it,_ Rhaegar thought sarcastically.

If Tywin Lannister had had his way, Rhaegar would have been chained to his vicious brat Cersei for the rest of his life. _I would have either strangled her or myself before we lasted a year in that marriage._

Right now, Ginevra Gryffindor was the far more interesting and attractive choice. Her beauty was undeniable and Rhaegar privately thought she was the most stunning woman he had ever seen. Though looks were some of the least interesting things one could look for in a person, he could not deny that they were important. But more than that, she was intriguing and it seemed she had a tender heart as well. If the rumors he had heard from Lord Steffon were true about how no child slept in the cold in her kingdom than that was something that made her different from all of the other spoiled noble's children he had ever met. Having someone with a good heart at his side for the rest of his life was an appealing thing.

She had his attention and he wanted to get to know her better before his father made a decision or said something that could spark a war.

She was also the more dangerous of the other options they had chosen because a union like this would never have happened before. The Free Cities had not been united under one banner since the Doom and now that Essos had become an empire, if he and Ginevra were to marry it would unite the two greatest powers the world had ever seen.

He knew his father wanted that as it was something he would never get again, and the dragons and magic for Aerys were paramount more than anything else.

When King Sirius had said that there was nothing Westeros would be able to offer him to entice him into this marriage other than his daughter's decision and her own curiosity, he had been floored.

But he had to admit that they were right. There was nothing that they could gain except perhaps increased control on trade between the two nations. The Targaryens had more to gain from this marriage than the Gryffindors did and so they were being highly selective with how they dealt with their western neighbors.

Rhaegar couldn't help but be a little impressed with what they had come up with. It was also rather shocking for his father as he had never come into contact with someone with equal to or greater power like House Gryffindor was. The idea of being refused this union was something that Aerys would not tolerate.

But he was also prideful enough to detest the idea of being weak so their terms were grating on him like nothing Rhaegar had never seen before.

Aerys whirled to the man who had thus far been the quietest in the room. "Steffon!"

His father's cousin jumped. "Yes your grace?"

"What do you think of their proposal? You were my envoy to the Gryffindors, you know them best."

Steffon sighed, obviously wondering whether to tell the king what he wanted to hear or be honest.

Rhaegar decided to make the decision for him. "You can speak your mind my lord. I would hear your thoughts."

Steffon nodded. "I knew after speaking with them that this was likely to be a situation they would not agree to right away. King Sirius is not a man who makes hasty decisions as I told you before your grace. He is someone who likes to know every facet of a choice before making it. As a king himself that is his prerogative. I feel that this marriage is still a viable option and still has the potential to happen, but the onus of doing so is on Prince Rhaegar your grace, not yourself."

"And what," the king snapped, "do you mean by that?"

The Lord of Storm's End swallowed hard. "I mean that the way to convince the Gryffindors to agree to this marriage is through the princess herself. The King himself posited this morning that the only reason they are here is because of his daughter's curiosity and with all due respect your grace you are not the person to convince her, your son will be.

Therefore the original techniques of…coercion are not going to work on her."

"I could have your tongue out for such a thing Steffon!" the king screeched and Rhaegar was hard pressed to keep from wincing.

"Father please calm yourself. This is not as bad as you are making it out to be. As I said before, sending children of wealthy lords to be fostered in different places is a common occurrence in Westeros. This would simply be a more unconventional way of doing it. Simply call it a mission of international diplomacy, I do not care, but this is far less serious than you are making it out to be."

"And if our enemies receive word that you are being bartered with by a foreign king?" Aerys demanded. "What will they think of us then?"

This time Rhaegar really did roll his eyes when his father's back was turned. "What enemies do you have father? You are the king, there is no one who will stand against you at this point."

"It seems the Gryffindors will!"

 _And we're right back where we started._

"Does not giving you what you want right away mean that they are against you?" Rhaegar countered. "No. It simply means they need more time to consider this decision which I think is a wise one."

Steffon nodded slowly, but Tywin still looked stone-faced. "Is leaving your kingdom at this time really a wise decision your grace?"

Rhaegar threw up his hands, suddenly having had enough of these stubborn men. "When will you understand that this will not be a sign of weakness? We have never had an opportunity like this before. There has never been another reigning kingdom in Essos since the days of Old Valyria and by your own words father this is an opportunity we will not get again. If you truly wish to be a king with a dynasty that will last a thousand years, than this is a small price to pay for it."

Rhaegar knew he was appealing to his father's ego at the moment and that dynasty did not mean as much to him as it did to Aerys, but at the same time he was curious enough about Ginevra that he didn't want to say goodbye to her yet. There was still more about her that he wanted to know.

He got to his feet and stared down at his father. Rhaegar was taller than Aerys so it wasn't that hard for him to look down at him and not be intimidated. "You didn't ask for my opinion but here it is and I am staying with it. This is my life you're bartering with, do not forget that."

And then before his father could say anything else that was supremely foolish, Rhaegar turned and strode out of the small council chambers without a backward glance.

He needed to think.

His footsteps led him to the gardens hoping to find his mother and speak with her. She had always been his biggest supporter and the one he confided in the most. She was the only one besides Ser Arthur that he felt he could truly trust.

Unfortunately his mother's whereabouts remained an unknown as her silvery head of blonde hair was nowhere to be found.

But it was the sound of a familiar laugh that did propel him down the garden path.

And when he came upon the sound and scene that had sparked his attention, the crown prince blinked in surprise.

There sitting on the garden path on one of the marble benches was Princess Ginevra and sitting on her lap was his little brother Viserys.

There was a stunning smile on Ginevra's beautiful face and Viserys was giggling like mad about something that had happened.

Rhaegar paused on the path, content to just watch them for a moment.

The last time he had spoken with his mother about the Gryffindor princess had been before he even met her.

Rhaella had imparted to him that even though this would be a political union he should not dismiss the fact that love was also possible given what Steffon had told them thus far. She had encouraged him to keep an emotional distance from her until he truly understood Ginevra's character and the way she thought and operated as a person which was something he had been intending to do.

And then he saw her with his brother.

His mother had told him a long time ago that to truly know someone, he had to observe that person with his family. How they acted around them would determine how they would act around him.

And the first thing he thought of seeing Ginevra Gryffindor with his little brother on her lap, the two of them laughing about something as if they didn't have a care in the world was, _she's going to be an excellent mother someday._

A second later he blinked, wondering where on earth that had come from.

Without having time to process it however, something prompted the princess to look up and catch sight of him then and though her smile remained, her beautiful sea blue eyes became somewhat wary.

Something about the look she gave him Rhaegar didn't like and not because they didn't know each other that well yet, but because he didn't want her to have to look at him with that guarded expression like her walls had just gone up.

It surprised him but deep down there was a burning desire to have a partner and a help mate in the woman who would one day be his queen and if Ginevra Gryffindor was to be that woman, he didn't want her to be closed off from him.

But of course he didn't say all of that.

Ser Arthur retreated and so did Ginevra's personal servant and guards until the only people left that he could see were his brother and his potential betrothed.

"Rhaegar!" Viserys called happily when he saw his older brother. "Ginny's been playing with me!"

"I can see that," the crown prince said suppressing his surprise at the fact that the red head had asked his brother to give her a nickname. "Aren't you supposed to be with mother Viserys?"

The little prince pouted. "But she wanted me to sleep and I'm not tired!"

The end of this statement was punctuated by an enormous yawn that caused both Rhaegar and Ginny to laugh.

"I think you're protesting too much Viserys," Ginevra said. "You seem to be more tired than you think."

Viserys tried to shake his head but from the sight of his little eyelids drooping and the fact that he was very nearly almost asleep, the prince and princess could tell that he would soon not be saying anything anymore.

Rhaegar reached for him and Ginny held him out so he could take the little boy and pass him to Ser Arthur. Their hands touched in that moment and as cliché as it was, the prince felt a sudden tingle in his fingers that hadn't been there before when she had placed her hand on his arm.

Ignoring it for the moment, the prince took his little brother from Ginevra's arms and handed him to the knight at his side. "Would you please see Viserys back to my mother Arthur? She's probably worried."

"Of course your grace."

As soon as the Dornish knight disappeared, the prince turned back to Ginny and noted that her guards had still faded away.

The red head got to her feet then and swept into a deep curtsy. "Your grace."

"Please, there's no need," he said somewhat awkwardly. "I didn't expect to find you out here."

Ginny chuckled. "Don't you remember what I told you yesterday your grace? I find your gardens my favorite part of this entire keep. They remind me of home."

He smiled at her. "That you did. I also happen to recall that you are someone who is rather hard to impress. Although I must admit that I didn't quite expect my having to impress you would be as much of a challenge as you detailed earlier."

To Rhaegar's surprise, Ginevra blushed slightly. It wasn't altogether too noticeable but at the same time a light dusting of pink decorated her cheeks. "Yes well, my father is someone who likes to play hard ball and I had no idea of what to go on other than what Lord Steffon told me when we drafted this contract. I knew there was a chance that the contract would be refused but at the same time, I am not someone who is willing to compromise on what I feel to be right. Fortunately, I am a princess and I have the ability to do that because many other females in this country and in my own cannot. I suppose its my way of testing you."

The prince chuckled slightly. "Well then I do consider myself feeling tested. I must admit that I've never felt quite so bartered with as I felt today. Not in a bad way but I don't think I expected that part of this betrothal agreement would entail me spending three months in Mereen."

"Are you displeased with the terms?" Ginevra asked.

He shook his head. "Surprisingly no. I meant what I said today as well. How am I to be a good king and ruler if I am not exposed to new things? I do not want to be a stubborn and obstinate like many of the rulers from the ages past. They did not know how to adjust and I cannot think of one ancestor of mine who didn't have their reign end naturally or with a chaotic amount of dissent in their wake. For once I wish to be a man who leads by example and has enough of a perspective on other things that I know what to do when trouble arises. Perhaps this opportunity will afford me that."

He could tell that his answer had surprised her by the subtle widening of her blue eyes. It disappeared a moment later however and a genuine smile replaced it.

She took a step closer to him but he refused to move and held her gaze steadily. Her eyes scanned over every inch of his face as if looking for some sign of untruth. When she couldn't find it however, the widening of her smile became even more beatific.

"You're a good man Rhaegar Targaryen."

The words were said quietly, but there was conviction in them and at the subtle admiration and sincerity in her tone, Rhaegar suddenly felt warm.

"Well then I would hope that what you observed prompts you into giving me a chance princess."

She blinked and he could tell she hadn't expected him to say that but liked it all that same. "That was the reason for the contract your grace. I want to give you a chance but most of all, I wanted to see what you would do with it. And so far I'm happy about what I see."

"So am I," he said genuinely.

There was a moment of silence where the two of them just looked up at each other taking the other person in.

Rhaegar could tell she was trying to see him without saying anything and he could tell that she was someone who liked to speak with her gaze.

He just hoped he was communicating clearly enough for her to see it.

In the next moment however, she said something that surprised him.

"There's something that I want to do," she said softly. "And I'd like you to come with me for it."

He blinked. "May I ask what it is?"

She smiled. "It's a bit of a surprise…but perhaps I would simply like to see how well you do outside of your comfort zone."

Now _that_ was surprising.

He opened his mouth to ask another question, but she had already turned and barked several commands in High Valyrian to her guards who had suddenly appeared again.

While Rhaegar could understand the language of his ancestors, Ginevra's Essosi accent was rather thick when she spoke with it and coupled with the fact that her timbre was rather quick, he only caught a few words of what she was saying.

Her guards seemed rather displeased but after a moment they bowed to her and strode back to the keep.

Rhaegar watched them as they passed him. The cloaks they wore bearing the Gryffindor symbol and the dark hoods that were pulled up over their heads along with the two enormous swords on their back made them a very intimidating bunch.

He had seen his father's eyes gleam when he had first laid eyes on the Creed guard because they were the sort of defenders he might have wanted for the royal family.

Finally, Ginevra called her personal servants forward. She was quiet beautiful with her golden brown skin and tight brown curls and slender frame.

Privately Rhaegar wondered which part of Essos she was from, but he kept such questions to himself.

"Missy?" Ginevra said. "When my father returns will you please tell him that I and the prince have gone into the city? That orphanage I visited yesterday is where I will be at."

"Of course your grace."

The moment she was gone, Rhaegar turned to the red head. "You visited an orphanage yesterday?"

She nodded. "I did. It's something I do often at home. Like I told you earlier, my father and I believe that children are the future of our empire and the hope to carry on the ideals of courage and decency and bravery that will be the Gryffindor legacy. If I am to one day be queen of Westeros taking care of it's children is something that will be a priority for me. And it's something that I would like for you to see as well."

Rhaegar frowned. "That's all well and good but how do you plan on getting out of the keep to get past the guards?"

She smiled up at him. "The only way someone like me can my prince. With magic."

Ω

Ginny didn't know what possessed her to hit upon the idea of taking Rhaegar into the city using her magic but when the idea had come to her, she just hadn't been able to repress it.

She had loved seeing the look on his face when she took his hand, told him to not let go and then the two of them had apparated outside of the keep into the city right outside of the orphanage she had been in the day before.

Just before they had left, Ginny had summoned the bag of money she had been carrying in her trunk for just such a purpose.

Naturally when she had knocked on the door of the orphanage and Mylene answered the door, the look of joy on her face was one that Ginny knew she would always remember.

She had let them in, bowing profusely and seemed more overwhelmed when it was revealed that she had prince Rhaegar with her as well.

"We're just getting the children ready for supper your graces," she said as she led the prince and princess down the long hallway toward what appeared to be a stone atrium beyond. "But I'm sure they would love to see you."

"In all my years of living in this city, I had no idea this was here," Rhaegar said quietly and Ginny threw him a wry smile over her shoulder. "Well now you do and I hope if you enjoy the experience that you will come back with me."

Before he could say anything else, Mylene led them out of the hallway where the door had been and into a large atrium made of marble and stone. There were two levels to the orphanage which opened into the atrium and had there was a stone fountain in the middle of it.

On the ground, brightly colored mats had been set up and there was a child sitting on each one who was eating happily from a plate of food. Some of them looked a little grubby, but otherwise they appeared happy and well fed.

"Children!" Mylene called clapping her hands together and prompting each of the little ones to look up from their plates of food. "I have two special guests to introduce to you.

Please welcome Prince Ginevra Gryffindor and Prince Rhaegar."

There was a collective gasp from all of the children when Ginny and Rhaegar took down the hoods of their cloaks which they had been using to disguise themselves and there was a breath of silence in the chamber for all of ten seconds.

And then those children who remembered Ginny from the day before got to their feet and rushed forward so they might crowd around her all talking excitedly.

"You came back!"

"Your dress is so beautiful!"

"Are you staying long?"

Poor Rhaegar looked a little overwhelmed by the sheer amount of children but when he looked at Ginny and saw the genuine smile on her face as she spoke to them, he relaxed slightly.

 _She seems to know what she's doing._

One of the little girls who looked no more than five years old came up to him then and had to crane her neck all the way back to see him.

"You're so beautiful," she whispered in awe and Ginny had to suppress her delighted laughter at the look of unadulterated shock on Rhaegar's face.

Children had a tendency of being brutally honest, they didn't have a filter and if they thought something was good or bad, pretty or ugly, they were going to say it.

A second later her potential betrothed seemed to recover before bending down so he was now eye level with the little girl. "Thank you. Now what's your name?"

"Alys," she said shyly.

He gave her a rather dazzling smile then that made her turn bright red. "And how old are you Alys?"

"She's five your grace," Mylene said softly from behind him. "She came to us about a year ago."

"And all of these children are simply left on the doorstep or come here on their own?" the prince asked feeling rather shocked.

"Sometimes we find them in the street your grace. Some of them have been abused or their parents have died and they are about to be sold as servants. We've come upon a few little girls that might have been taken to the pleasure houses had we not taken them in."

A sense of outrage came over the prince then. "That's appalling! How many children here have had to suffer through that?"

Mylene looked down at her feet sadly. "A good many your grace. We do not always have enough to feed each child an equal portion of food, but we manage all the same no matter how many we have."

Before he could ask more questions, Rhaegar could feel the little girl named Alys tugging on his hand.  
He stood up and allowed her to pull him over to the couch where Ginevra had seated herself so she could talk to the other children. The moment he had seated himself beside her, she turned to him with a beatific smile.

"You enjoy doing this don't you?" he asked quietly.

"There are few things that give me greater joy," she replied.

"Are you going to marry Prince Rhaegar?" one of the older girls asked looking at the crown prince rather dreamily.

Ginny felt Rhaegar's eyes on her and smiled at the girl. "I don't know yet. But that's why I'm here in Westeros. You see children, I live in Mereen and that's a long way from here. My father King Sirius and I came to Westeros so we could meet Prince Rhaegar and see if marrying him would be a good idea."

"Why wouldn't it be a good idea?" the same girl asked. "He's so handsome. And you're so beautiful. You'd be a king and queen out of the stories."

Rhaegar chuckled quietly to himself and nearly missed when Ginevra gave him a cheeky smile. "I don't know prince Rhaegar that well yet. And it's important to know someone before you marry them. You're going to spend the rest of your life with that person."

"Do you like him?" another girl asked.

Ginny chose that moment to look at her potential husband and he was surprised to see her eyes soften slightly. "I do. I suppose time will tell how much though."

Rhaegar blinked in surprise before returning her smile with one of his own and a moment passed between the two of them before it was interrupted. He didn't know why the idea of Ginevra liking him gave him such a good deal of satisfaction but it did and he wanted it to continue.

Another little boy who had been sitting close to Ginny sat forward. "If you marry the prince, will you live here in the capital?"

Ginny nodded. "I will. And perhaps then I would get to see you more often."

She continued to talk with the children and Rhaegar sat there, just content to watch her. He was more than a little in awe and shocked as well because he hadn't know this orphanage existed. While he had known that there were many orphanages throughout the city, he had never been to them all and the fact that there were children who were so abused in this place rather disgusted him.

 _This will have to be a change I will need to make when I become king._

He was rather surprised from his thoughts when little Alys climbed into his lap and nestled there as if there was no place she would rather be.

Mylene looked at him rather apologetically and moved forward to take the child but he waved her off, hesitantly putting his arms around the little girl.

She giggled and looked up at him with such an adoring smile that it nearly took his breath away.

He saw that one of the little boys had crawled into Ginevra's lap who looked no older than three and that the beautiful red head was cuddling him like he was her own child and he was chuckling up at her.

The smile on her face almost took his breath away as it was the first time he had seen her completely unguarded.

And it was then that he knew.

He didn't want her to sail back to Mereen before he got the chance to know her and perhaps be able to make her smile like that.

But to do that he would need to make sure the contract was signed.

And that would take some work.

But as stated earlier, if there was one thing that he did like…it was a challenge.

And the prince had a feeling this time, he was going to make it a challenge he would win.

Ω

 **Alright, so some more character and plot development happened in this chapter. We got to see how the Targaryens think and some more of Aerys craziness has come out. Rhaegar is getting to know Ginny better and vice versa and so far they are liking what they are seeing but time will tell if it is love or not. In the next chapter we will find out the Targaryens' decision about the contract and see more of Ginny and Rhaegar as they continue to get to know each other. Also be sure to check my bio for new story ideas. The new idea I had for a story featuring Jaime and Elia is now up on my bio so you can have a look at it there. I've already written the first chapter for that story and started on the second because I was so inspired by my idea. There is also a story idea up there as well which is another HP/ASOIAF crossover which features Neville as the main character. Be sure to look at that one too. I get a lot of questions from people asking how it is that I update so fast. Most of it is that whenever I am not writing, I am thinking about my stories whether I'm in the shower or drifting off to sleep or on the bus for school or something else like that so when I come back to the compute to type, all of the ideas I thought about are there in the front of my brain to be used. I also type really fast. I can get ten pages of a chapter done in about two hours so that really helps. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and don't forget to review!**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Do you do this often?" Rhaegar inquired.

"What do you mean?" Ginny replied.

The two of them had just left the orphanage and had apparated back into the keep once more leaving Rhaegar breathless at her magic.

He had a feeling if they married it was going to be a long time before he was ever used to the idea of traveling from place to place in the blink of an eye.

In a way, he was a little envious. A spell of apparition could go a long way when he desperately needed to be in one area of the realm and wouldn't have to travel thousands of miles to get there.

Magic was a convenient tool and it seemed Ginevra and her father used it to great effect going back and forth across their empire, settling disputes and perhaps even using it to transport their armies.

Perhaps that was why they had been able to conquer Essos so fast. Using magic to transport themselves, their troops, their navies and dragons would have instantly made whatever front the Free Cities put up crumble to dust in the face of such power.

It was a power his father would kill for.

And it certainly made Ginevra far more interesting than any other woman he had ever met.

She stood on her own two feet and was her own woman. She had her own opinions and didn't make apologies for them. Given the fact that she was a princess helped because she ruled beside her father and the people took her seriously.

He had seen her with the children and was almost entranced at how the cool confident demeanor had simply dropped from her face and a gentle almost mothering side had taken over her.

It was almost breathtaking to see.

And he kind of wanted to see more of it.

"I mean that when you are at home in Mereen, do you visit the orphanages there often?" he asked as she strolled arm in arm down the path.

"At least once a week," she said. "I find that every child is at the age where their self-esteem and identity is in a very fragile state. They need to know that someone cares because the fact that their parents either died or abandoned them is not something that they will be able to erase from their memory for the rest of their lives. So it is very important for them to know that someone else will want to look after them and is doing so.

 _No wonder the people worship her,_ Rhaegar thought to himself.

In truth, he felt a little envious. His people had nicknamed him the Silver Prince and to this day he still did not know truly why, most likely to do with his physical features than anything else.

While there were often times when he did go out into the street and play for the people and then give the money that he made away, sometimes he felt as if it wasn't nearly enough.

In taking him to the orphanage and seeing the sweetness and innocence of children in the city and realm he would one day rule over, it slowly began to make him see things in a different light. What sort of king would he be if he did not care about his people?

He shuddered in thinking he would be a recluse like his father who locked himself in his chambers and only cared about the things of the mind.

There was no way in the seven hells that he would want to be like that and so he was glad that his mother had had more of a hand in raising him than his father had.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

She frowned up at him. "For what your grace?"

He gently pulled her to a stop, still holding onto her hand. They had been back in the keep for a while, only choosing to spend a half an hour in the orphanage so it would not be known that they had gone missing.

He looked down into her beautiful face for a moment and gave her a slight smile. "For opening me up to a new perspective that I had not considered before. I think I will view the city and the realm differently from here on out."

Ginevra gave him a half smirk. "Good, than one of my tasks for the day has been accomplished."

He frowned at her. "And what of the other tasks?"

Her smirk widened. "Most of those have to do with my and my father's realm. But I count this particular one to be the most important."

He smiled at her. "So do I."

They were silent for a moment before the conversation resumed. After a time, Rhaegar spoke up, curious about something. "If House Targaryen is to agree to this contract that you and King Sirius have set forth your grace, how exactly do you plan to go about it?"

She frowned up at him. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"I mean will it be put into place immediately? Or will there be a period in between where further negotiations are held? And if upon the conclusion of these sixth months you decide that this marriage is something you wish to uphold than will you return to King's Landing right away so the wedding may be had?"

"No to the first question and yes to the second," Ginevra told him with a smile. "Once my father and I make a decision, we like to move fast."

He chuckled. "That is good to know. I'm not one for moving slowly myself."

She laughed too. "So it would seem."

Their conversation did not last long after that and when he returned her to her chambers and kissed her hand in farewell, the smile on his face seemed genuine.

"Thank you your grace," he said quietly and she rewarded him with a dazzling smile. "Again Prince Rhaegar, for what?"

"For opening my eyes," he said just as seriously. "I told you before, I had had no idea that such things were happening in the city that my father ruled. I always knew parts of King's Landing to be poor, but at the same time I did not think that there was such…dire circumstances."

She smiled again before surprising him by reaching up one of her hands and touching the side of his face as if to comfort him. "I would not call it dire your grace, but there are parts of this city that are more lacking than others. All I do in my own city is keep an eye on things. Perhaps that is all you should do as well."

"I will," he said and was surprised to find that he actually meant it. "Do you think you would accompany back to the orphanage before you return to Mereen? I find I wish to go again."

Her smile widened. "Of course my prince. But what makes you think that I am going to go home?"

He stopped himself from grimacing. "My father is a man that is…difficult to handle at times."

She chuckled quietly. "That may be so, but I think you are more adept at handling him than you seem to think. If you wish for this proposal to go through…there's not a doubt in my mind that you will be able to convince him."

He raised an eyebrow. "You seem to have a good deal of trust in me."

She seemed amused. "I wouldn't call it trust yet. But I do find that I have confidence in you. You seem to be the sort of man who will do the right thing."

"And what makes you so certain?" he asked.

Her hand lowered him his face and he found he felt the loss of it. "Because you seemed to have the courage to tell him how you truly felt this morning. Why is that something that might not continue despite whether I am here or not?"

He opened his mouth to respond but she cut him off. "I think that you do not give yourself nearly enough credit. You have more courage than you think and as time goes on, you will begin to see it as many others even now do."

He frowned slightly. "Including you?"

Her smile then was unfathomable. "Including me. Goodnight your grace."

And then without giving him to time to formulate a response, she slipped into her chambers and shut the door behind her, leaving a confused and intrigued Rhaegar in her wake.

Ω

Over the next few days, Ginny found herself spending a good deal of time with the prince. Despite her best attempts to guard her heart and mind thus far, he was an intriguing individual. The only thing he could lay claim to from his father was his stunning looks but nothing of Aerys cruelty.

There had been one time a few nights into their stay in Mereen after yet another feast thrown by the king that the red head had lain awake in her bed just thinking about both

Rhaegar and Harry and comparing the two of them.

It surprised her that in many ways the two of them were the same. Harry was someone who was unswervingly brave but so it seemed was Rhaegar. They had both grown up in hard emotional circumstances it seemed despite the wildly different economic circumstances.

Rhaegar was a prince.

Harry was the boy who lived.

Harry had black hair and green eyes.

Rhaegar had silvery blonde hair and violet eyes.

Harry had magic.

Rhaegar did not.

Rhaegar's parents were alive.

Harry's were not.

They both knew how to use swords when it mattered as Ginny still remembered when Harry had saved her from the serpent in the chamber of secrets so long ago.

They were both kind individuals who seemed to strive to do their best with what they were given.

It was a never ending game of comparisons, honestly.

And all Ginny could really do was get to know Rhaegar and try not to compare him too much to Harry.

Interestingly enough it had not been the prince she was spending a lot of time with as Ginny did fondly recall a time when she had come into contact with Lord Varys, the master of whispers.

He had been polite enough but somewhat skittish and she wondered if the matter of her magic worried him a bit.

She could see why, magic or at least some form of sorcery was slightly more common in Essos than it was here what with the priests and priestesses of Asshai running about and talking about their odd faith which had a nasty habit of burning people alive.

Despite the fact that Lord Varys had been in Westeros for a while, his accent was Essosi and she learned that he was in fact from Asshai which was ironic in and of itself.

She was curious about his story but didn't think it appropriate to ask him as they barely knew each other.

Ginny also had a feeling that he would be one to watch if she decided to marry Rhaegar and he remained on the small council.

His only motive in the court at all was to serve the realm.

And that made him slightly dangerous. A man whose motives were ambiguous and might not even be one to serve himself was someone to keep an eye on.

She hadn't had a chance to speak with lord Tywin or any of his children yet, but Ginny doubted she would and at the moment she had no desire to do such a thing.

At least not yet.

She wanted to learn more about the Lannisters and their ilk before she made any decisions.

The red head had only observed Cersei from across the room and already she was thinking of her as Pansy Parkinson reborn.

 _She might as well be just as intelligent as her too._

She had seen her twin brother Jaime Lannister as well and though he seemed rather overtly arrogant he didn't seem to have a cruel streak like Draco Malfoy did.

 _Perhaps there's hope for him._

Ginny spent one day going back to Mereen for a half an hour to see her step mother and her triplet brothers. They sat for a while talking about the prince and the expectations of the court as well as the royal family and the people Ginny had met.

Vellaena had imparted to Ginny that Sirius had already told her that he was rather impressed with Prince Rhaegar's ability to diffuse a situation which meant that his negotiation skills were good and that would serve him well as a king.

 _"Are you confident in his ability to lead a realm darling?" Vellaena asked and Ginny sighed.  
_

 _"I'm not sure yet. There is just so much that I still do not know. We have barely been in King's Landing for a week and already political intrigue has dogged my and father's steps. Prince Rhaegar seems to care about his family to be sure but how am I to know?"  
_

 _"Well at least now this decision is no longer up to you," Vellaena said soothingly. "The Targaryens will make their decision in a few days' time and then if it is a no you will be free to come home and not think about it any longer."  
_

 _"I suppose that's true. But what if it is a yes?"  
_

 _Vellaena chuckled. "Than obviously this prince values you enough already to wish to know you better as from what you have told me he seems to be the only one in favor of this contract. You should put your trust in him if you wish for this contract to go through. If he is as keen enough to see it done as I think he is, than you should not worry."  
_

 _"I'm not worried," Ginny protested.  
_

 _"You're face give you away darling," Vellaena said with a chuckle. "You may be difficult for others to read but for me and your father and Missandei…your expressions are quite easy to see."  
_

 _Ginny sighed. "I need to work on that."  
_

 _Her stepmother smiled. "Never think you need to hide yourself from us Ginny. Your father and I love you very much. We never want you to feel you need to hide anything or bear anything on your own."  
_

 _Ginny smiled at her. "I know…I love you too."_

They spent a little more time together and then Ginny had returned to King's Landing and spent the rest of the day with her father.

Throughout the rest of the week, feasts and celebrations were thrown every night in honor of the Gryffindors although after a while it began to feel a little overkill to Ginny.

She was used to dealing with a lot of parties back in Mereen but at the same time, this was beginning to feel a bit monotonous.

Rhaegar seemed rather apologetic as well given the lavish lifestyle that the Targaryens were exhibiting trying to impress the Gryffindors.

He could tell that it wasn't impressing his potential betrothed and so he made an effort to turn her mind to other things.

They would dance for a time and then they would leave the keep to walk through the gardens and talk for a while.

Ginny was glad for the interpersonal moments she shared with the prince as it made things seem a lot less formal that way. She learned a little more about him and his past, as well as spent time with his mother and Prince Viserys.

Ginny was also able to connect with Rhaella on a deeper level as well and discovered through the use of her heightened magical senses that the queen was expecting again.

That was interesting news as a pregnant queen around a mad man like Aerys was a recipe for disaster.

Even in those few days, Ginny could feel herself growing closer to the youngest prince and the queen and that was why she hoped to all the gods that may or may not have existed that there would be some way she would be able to stay…if only to help them.

She knew that things were up in the air at this point and she was a little anxious to see how everything panned out.

On the sixth day since the contract was brought out into the open, Ginny received a message from her father that he was in the small council chambers as the king had made his decision.

That alone was enough to cause her heart to accelerate slightly but in the end, she took her guards and strode through the halls of the keep towards the small council chambers.

 _This is it,_ she thought to herself. _What goes on in here will determine what I do with the rest of my life._

But she knew she couldn't linger out there for any longer and so with Gavreen and Visrael on either side of her, she squared her shoulders and strode into the small council chambers.

Right before she did so however, she heard Sirius deep voice rumbling in conversation. It seemed as if he were speaking quietly with Lord Steffon but all conversation ceased the moment the princess stepped into the room.

Sirius smiled encouragingly at her so she swept over to the table before looking around at all the men gathered and offered a deep curtsy. "My lords."

There were murmured responses of _your grace_ but other than that the room was generally silent.

Rhaegar was sitting at the other end of the table next to his father looking quite dashing in his tunic and breeches of red and black. He gave her a small smile so she took that to mean that so far things were going well.

"Now then," Sirius said as Ginny sat down. "I understand that you lords have come to a decision?"

"We have your grace," Tywin said answering the king. "The crown has agreed to your terms, but we are putting forth some of our own."

Sirius nodded calmly "Very well…and they are?"

He and Ginny had suspected that the crown would have their own as well and they were prepared to hear them.

Rhaegar didn't appear tense at all so Ginny took that as a sign that he agreed with the terms the Targaryens were about to put forth.

The question was, would she and Sirius?

"In exchange for our prince spending three months across the sea in the Essosi Empire, he will be allowed to come back to Westeros once every week that he is away. Whether that be by use of magic or dragons that will be up to your discretion. The prince will also have someone accompany him so that the interests of House Targaryen can be looked out for."

Sirius nodded. "I think I can agree to that. What else?"

Tywin nodded sharply before going on, reading from his own paper. "In exchange for this marriage to the princess, the crown desires to have the island of Lys brought under Targaryen control."

That was a surprise.

Sirius glanced at Ginny. Lys had only recently become a part of their empire because they seemed to not rely on slavery for their trading needs. They were a simple island of simple people and so there was no need to have too much security there at this time.

 _What are they playing at?_ The red head wondered.

It occurred to her that at least Tywin Lannister must have known that the island of Lys was not part of the Essosi Empire just as the Step Stones were not a part of Westeros.

The only reason she could think of that Aerys would want such an island would be to keep a closer eye on their empire as well as increase the trade into their own kingdom.

It was a…interesting demand to say the least.

 _Well,_ she thought to herself, _if they want to play spy so can we._

She glanced at her father and raised an eyebrow. He seemed to know exactly what she was eluding to and nodded slightly.

"I can agree to that on one condition," Sirius said leaning forward so one of his forearms was resting on the table.

"And that is?" Aerys said somewhat tightly.

Ginny wondered how much convincing Rhaegar had done in order to get his father to agree to this.

 _He must want this more than I thought,_ she thought to herself rather smugly.

"We want the Step Stones," Sirius said and the entire room seemed to hold its breath.

Tywin's eyes narrowed. "May I ask why you would want those islands your grace?"

Sirius smirked. "You may ask but aside from establishing a trade route, your answers will remain our own at this time. Just as I am certain you are keeping yours for obtaining Lys."

Aerys' face tightened but Rhaegar looked oddly smug as if he had been predicting this all along.

"Very well," the king said. "In exchange for the island of Lys we will agree to the Step Stones."

Sirius's answering grin was all teeth. "Excellent."

And just like that, it was done.

Ginny could barely believe it had all come together so easily and yet she was also a little suspicious as well for the activities the Targaryens might have in mind for Lys. They would need to keep an eye on that.

"One final thing though," Sirius said and instantly he had everyone's attention.

"Yes your grace?" Tywin asked. His eyes had narrowed slightly and Ginny could tell he was just as eager for these negotiations to be over as the king was.

Sirius smirked, obviously enjoying the face that the man was uncomfortable. "If at any time something happens during my daughter's three month stay here in King's Landing against her person or against our family in name or deed…these negotiations will be null and void. I will take her back to Mereen and it will be as if we have never been here. Are we agreed?"

These words he said to Aerys who appeared as if he were struggling mightily not to act like a caged animal they all deep down knew he was.

However it was prince Rhaegar who responded. "We are agreed. Thank you your grace."

Sirius nodded his head to what might be his future son in law and within five minutes the papers were signed.

Ginny observed everything quietly as she knew how important it was from her father to get everything in writing. Aerys seemed to be the sort of man who thought nothing of going back on his promises and she didn't want that to happen here.

If they didn't honor their word well…there were always other ways for dealing with squelched honor and broken promises.

She smirked quietly to herself and looked up in time to find that Prince Rhaegar was looking at her. There was something unfathomable in the depths of his violet eyes and she wondered what he was thinking about.

Almost as soon as the papers were signed, Sirius used magic to duplicate them and left a copy with the Targaryens while he pocketed a copy for himself and then offered his hand to Ginny before the two of them swept imperiously out of the room.

Aerys sat there as one by one his lords slowly left the room after making their excuses until all that was left was himself, Rhaegar Tywin and Steffon who sat quietly in their chairs.

The king's hands were slowly clenching and unclenching from the edge of the tabletop. His face was downright purple and Rhaegar could tell that it had taken every ounce of rationale he still possessed to not turn into a complete mad man in front of the Gryffindors.

This both impressed and concerned him.

 _I must have underestimated how badly he desires this marriage to go through,_ he thought to himself as he glanced sideways at the king. _However, his demands for Lys are…_ _interesting to say the least. The only reason I can think of for his desire for such an island is to have a foothold into the Gryffindor Kingdom. But I do not think it will be so for long._

Rhaegar had long decided that his father's reign needed to end. The only thing that was in fact restraining his madness now was the fact that the contract had been agreed to and now it was all but assured that Ginevra Gryffindor would be the next queen.

He could tell that his father felt a certain amount of glee in that he felt he had won and assured a bride for his son, both of whom was of Valyrian heritage and had a rich and powerful history as well as empire.

 _Has he won…or has he only assured himself of his own death?_ Rhaegar wondered to himself. _King Sirius is not a man to make idle threats and he has said more than once how highly he prizes his family. If father does something to his daughter in any way, we are as good as dead._

The crown prince cast a glance at his mad father who was simply staring at the table top while a disgruntled Tywin Lannister read over the contract that the Gryffindors had signed and left them with.

 _I am going to need to work harder than ever to ensure the good will of the Gryffindors,_ he thought grimly to himself. _Otherwise the consequences will be damning._

Ω

Ginny was a little shell shocked after the agreement of the contract and as soon as they had reached their chambers, Sirius had left to return to Mereen and give her step mother the good news as well as inform Gulian and attend the court session for the day.

They had been in Mereen a week already but so much of that had been attending feasts and negotiations that Ginny felt as if it had dragged by.

When Sirius had departed for Mereen with the promise that he would return within a few hours, Ginny had decided to go for a walk among the gardens again.

She had promised Viserys that at some point she would show him Septimus but she wanted to wait until she had established a good rapport with the other Targaryens before she did so.

Granted, she and Aerys would never be on good terms but that was something she had accepted if she were going to be queen of this realm.

She had just continued to walk past the moonlight garden when she heard her name being called.

Looking up, Ginny was rather surprised to see Prince Rhaegar sitting on one of the benches. He had gotten to his feet when he saw her, and Ginny waved her guards off. Orius gave her a searching look but she nodded, indicating that she wanted a little privacy and the four of them, him Sion, Gavreen and Visrael retreated down the garden path to stand at the entrance, but they were always within sight of her nonetheless.

She turned back to the prince and took a moment to admire him as he slowly walked towards her.

He seemed relaxed and there was an air of peace about him as if he had just come through a great stress and was feeling the aftermath of it more than usual.

 _I wonder if that stress was related to the small council meeting._ Ginny wondered.

She swept into a slight curtsy. "What can I do for you your grace?"

He smiled slightly. "I thought we knew each other on a first name basis by this point?"

Ginny chuckled. "I suppose so. We may very well be married in a few months so I suppose it is within my right to call you by your first name."

"And I can call you by yours," he said but she could tell that he was teasing slightly and so she decided to return the favor. "No."

He raised an eyebrow. "No?"

"No," she replied. "Perhaps it's time you start calling me what my family calls me. So to you, I will be Ginny."

The eyebrow rose higher. "Ginny? I didn't realize you had a nickname."

She smiled slightly. "I've had one for as long as I can remember. Ginevra is a bit of a mouthful don't you think? Besides it's what I've already told your brother to call me. Though his attempts to pronounce Ginevra were adorably funny."

Rhaegar observed her quietly. He knew that his betrothed had spoken with his mother and brother but he hadn't realized they had gone that far in the realm of acquaintance.

He found he rather liked it.

"Very well then," he said. "Ginny it is."

He paused then as if testing the name to see how it sounded on his tongue.

He could feel her watching him and smiled. "I like it."

"Good," she said sounding amused. "Because you will probably be using it a lot more frequently seeing as how I am to be here for the next three months."

"Yes that is interesting isn't it?" he said as the two moved to walk slowly down the garden path together.

Ginny was aware of the guards following her but they kept a respectful distance all the same.

"Interesting how?" she asked.

Rhaegar rubbed a hand against the side of his face wryly. "In all my life I don't think I've ever felt as…bartered with as I have this week?"

To his surprise, the princess grimaced slightly. "Yes, I realize that you might have been uncomfortable with that."

He chuckled. "Uncomfortable? Not really, but it is an odd experience to have people who are not me haggling over my future."

"Well," she said. "Women in my country and this one have had it done for them for so many years that when I am in a position to have more of a say…well I am going to take advantage of it."

"You certainly did at that," he said but Ginny could see that he didn't mean it in a bad way. "You and King Sirius weren't going to give an inch in your demands."

"No," Ginny said. "But that's how I've always operated. When I feel strongly about something, it means I will not give an inch no matter how attractive the other option is."

"And you feel strongly about this?" he asked as they walked.

Ginny paused in her stride and looked up at him.

He might very well be her husband within the next three months. His violet eyes watched her curiously and the tousled platinum hair fell against the side of his face in a very charming manner. He didn't seem to be the sort of person who took great care with his hair the way Draco Malfoy had.

In fact she had seen him on several occasions run his hand through his hair as if he were stressed or trying to keep it out of his eyes.

For some reason it made him seem even more attractive and she would admit that to no one but herself.

"And if I am?" she asked quietly. "What would you think of that?"

He blinked and wondered if she was again testing him as she had so often done during the past week.

Ginevra Gryffindor was a hard woman to read and whenever he had spent time with her in the past seven days, he had had to prepare himself before hand as she was someone who was straight forward, direct, but also very shrewd. She seemed to speak with her eyes more than with her mouth and also seemed to know how to play the game very well.

Given that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, he knew his own looks wouldn't enchant her the way the seemed to do with any other woman and that put him at square one. He would need to impress her with personality, intelligence and character, which was something he had never had to do before.

But as noted earlier, he did love a challenge and this was more than one. She would be someone who would drive him he could tell. She would make him work for her hand and perhaps even for her love and seeing as how her father was a man who was accustomed to working for what he wanted the way his wasn't, she would know exactly what work looked like.

He found himself both intrigued and eager and to embark on this adventure with her and for the life of him, he didn't know why.

"Then I'd be honored," he said quietly.

Her eyes darkened with some unknown emotion and he wondered what she was thinking.

"You would?" she asked.

He nodded. "It isn't very often I meet someone who would challenge me like you do. I find myself rather interested by it. Enough that I know I would want to know you more."

To his surprise her cheeks turned slightly pink. Despite her coloring and the blood red hair that framed her face and shoulders, crimson was a rather fetching color on her.

Though he had only known her for a week, he found he rather liked her responses when he said something she wasn't expecting.

It was only now that he was beginning to see a more gentle side of her. It was that side that he wanted to see more of.

He had seen a dazzling smile on her face when she had been with the children in the orphanage a few days earlier. And he sort of wanted to see that happen from her again.

She had smiled so little in the last few days that whenever she did, it was like sunshine and he wanted to see more of it.

The court he lived in was so tense and somewhat bleak and stressful given the nonsense that his father performed on a daily business so when someone came along who seemed to possess genuine compassion and a desire to help others well…he wanted that person to stick around and see more of what they were like.

There was no doubt in his mind that Ginny…gods it was odd thinking of her like that now…was a fierce princess and warrior, but he was also aware that there was a sweet compassionate side of her and _that_ was the side that he wanted to see more of.

And so that was why he had managed to persuade his father in agreeing to this treaty.

And then of course Tywin bloody Lannister had to swoop in and come up with the idea of asking for Lys if they agreed to the contract. And he was sure that his father hadn't anticipated the Gryffindors in return asking for the Step Stones as well. So all in all both families got an island out of this agreement.

Sirius Gryffindor's words at the end of the signing of the contract were rather ominous though.

Rhaegar had no doubt that the man would literally rain fire and blood down upon the heads of the Targaryens.

He was loyal but he could be absolutely ruthless when he wanted to be which was why Rhaegar knew he needed to stay on the man's good side until he had developed enough of a relationship with him that he could make mistakes.

And that was why he was glad all parties involved had signed the contract and thus would begin a tense but somewhat rewarding courtship he was sure.

"Well then," Ginny said breaking into his thoughts. "I look forward to challenging you some more your grace."

"Please do so Ginny," he said more gently than he thought himself capable of. "Because I am eager to see just how different you are."

Ω

 **Alright, and so with that the courtship is put in place. A series of time jumps will be coming soon as Ginny and Rhaegar already know each other at this point well enough that I feel I don't need to give dialogue to every aspect of their relationship. However, I have some very important conversations and events lined up for when they are both in Mereen that I think we will all be emotionally satisfied by. Now to the questions:**

 **silverharafox: there will be a Lyanna Ginny scene coming before long in which Ginny will shut her down hard. Honestly, I cannot stand Lyanna Stark and you guys can look at my profile for reasons why but I do not like her, probably never will and so any reason I have to give her a run for her money, I am going to take it. Seeing as how Ginny is one of my absolute favorite characters in the Harry Potter Universe and Lyanna is my least favorite female in the GOT universe, I am going to make the scene as interesting as possible hehehehe**

 **Chelsea-Queen: Ginny will be speaking with all the characters you mentioned before long.**

 **And now to all of the other guests who have been leaving a ridiculous amount of comments asking when I am going to update...guys, finals are right around the corner and I have a lot of papers to write and exams to study for. Also I updated this story just over a week ago. Just because it takes a little more than a week for me to update does not mean that I have abandoned a story. So to see that some of you think that is a little annoying. Also to the guest with the user name Lilo23...honey I appreciate that you really love this story, but commenting four or five times a chapter asking when I am going to update is a little annoying. There's no need for it honestly. I update when I have time and I go by my school schedule. So in the future, please have a little patience. I love this story just as much as the rest of you do, but we need to be smart. I can't update once a week sometimes. I wish I could but that's just not always practical. So please before you leave a review asking for the third time when I am going to update, remember that I am a busy person too, just like the rest of you and do have other things going on in my life that just writing fanfiction. Honestly if I was paid to do this for a living then I would. I just want you all to keep that in mind when you go to review. This isn't all of you, like I mentioned it is just the guests that I cannot reply to personally because I would if I could.**

 **Now on another note, for those of you following this story and all my other ones, I want to ask if you would please go and check out my other newest one called Angel. Honestly its one of my favorite stories that I have ever written and I would love it if you guys would read it and tell me what you think of the first three chapters.**

 **So that's all for now. Thank you for taking the time to review and once again, happy reading everyone**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Within the next week, it was all over court how Princess Ginevra Gryffindor had opted to extend her stay in King's Landing to three months because a formal courtship had been put in place between her and the crown prince.

Aerys was of course crowing and seemed he had completely forgotten about the fact that in three months his own son and heir would be crossing the Narrow Sea for the same amount of time.

Ginny decided she would let him think he had won for the time being. After all, it was never good to wake a sleepwalker.

Best to let him come to his own conclusions and then let him deal with the fall out.

In the meantime, there were another series of feasts to celebrate the courtship which Ginny really didn't think were necessary but it seemed if there was one thing Aerys couldn't be dissuaded from, it was celebrating the fact that he thought he had won.

So the Gryffindors graciously let him think that.

In the meantime, Ginny focused only on spending time with the one to whom she was courting, along with Rhaella and Viserys.

Without Aerys around, the Targaryens almost seemed to be a normal family. Viserys was a happy precocious child and Rhaella seemed to be a normal woman as if the crown upon her brown didn't seem to weigh her down as if the weight of the world were upon her shoulders.

In the week that Ginny had spent waiting for the Targaryens answer to her and Sirius's contract, she had made it a point of reference to spend as much time with the other members of the royal family as possible.

Rhaella seemed to appreciate her interest in Viserys and the little boy preened under Ginny's attention. She imagined that besides his mother and his brother, he didn't get a lot of it.

 _Gods…is everyone in this court unstable?_

Ginny remembered that madness ran in the Targaryen line and even though no symptoms had manifested in Rhaegar, she knew she would still need to keep a close eye on the situation.

In the meantime however the red head decided she was just going to focus on the important things, namely her future betrothed and his family.

When she wasn't spending time with Rhaegar or the queen or the second prince, Ginny found herself at the orphanage where she had seen Jaeson on her first day here.

Often times Rhaegar accompanied her. Like her, he seemed to have developed a favorite among the children, a little girl no more than five years old by the name of Alys.

She seemed to have developed an affinity for him as well whenever she saw him come into the orphanage with her, she would run over to him and latch onto his leg.

Rhaegar always seemed to have a dazzling smile just for her and when he would bend and pick her up, she would wrap her arms around his neck and rest her head against his chest and close her eyes as if she were utterly content and that there was nowhere else she wished to be.

When Alys had first done this, the look of unadulterated shock one the prince's face cause Ginny to have to bite down hard on her lips to keep from laughing.

After a moment however, a soft look came over his beautiful face and he wrapped the small girl up in his arms a bit tighter making Ginny's smile turn even gentler.

 _It seems my wonderings about whether or not he would be a good father have no bad connotations._

Rhaegar's eyes seemed to soften exponentially as he looked at the little girl and Ginny allowed herself to wonder for one moment what it would be like if they had a daughter and Alys would be replaced with her in Rhaegar's arms.

The thought caused her to shiver unconsciously as it brought back memories from the House of the Undying so long ago.

She still remembered looking in Daemon's blue eyes that were the exact same size and shape and color of her own.

He had had his father's hair and her eyes along with a smile that would light up a room. He was the best of both of his parents and would be a great king one day.

There was only one problem.

She didn't like the name Daemon.

As she eyed Alys in Rhaegar's arms, Ginny smirked to herself. _Alright so I'll come up with another name. It doesn't have to Daemon._

A month passed with blinding speed and in all that time, Ginny didn't receive one notion that her time in the Red Keep would be anything other than pleasant.

She avoided Aerys as much as possible even though she heard whispers from the servants that he was even madder than usual.

The red head had a feeling that that had something to do with the fact that her father was only an apparition away and wouldn't hesitate to kill Aerys should something happen to her.

Granted that may also invite civil war but at the same time, Ginny had heard some interesting rumors from Missandei from some of the keep's servants that none of the nobles would care one way or another if Aerys died.

Missy heard a lot of gossip from the other servants and she knew that such things would be of interest to the princess.

As it turns out, Ginny was very interested in what the servants of the keep had to say and she relayed the information to her father when he apparated back to the keep to see her every day.

After the contract had been agreed upon, the three month period for her stay in King's Landing had begun immediately and Sirius had returned to Mereen to take up the mantle of king once more.

Given their magic and that he could apparate back to the capital of the Essosi Empire everyday it wasn't like he had been really gone. He had attended the court sessions in the Great Pyramid almost every day and spent almost all of his nights with Vellaena.

There were only a few times where he actually slept in his own bed in Mereen.

Ginny knew he had missed her step mother a great deal and didn't begrudge him the comfort he had with her.

After all, Sirius had been denied a life for far too long to have to give up one now.

He still ensured that he used their scrying devices every day to ensure that she was well and ask how her day had gone for which she was grateful.

Even though he was an ocean away, Ginny knew she could return to her family simply by spinning on her heel so it made the separation more bearable.

More than once, she had considered taking Rhaegar back to Mereen to see the capital but then decided she wanted him to see it in all of its glory when the proper time came.

No doubt he would think it far more acceptable than the pitiful capital where he had grown up.

Other than spending nearly all of her time with the prince getting to know her better, a few interesting things happened during her first month on her own in the Red Keep that

Ginny found rather fascinating.

She had been sitting on one of the benches reading quietly one of the books she had brought from Mereen with her when all of a sudden a sound met her ears.

Glancing up, she met the eyes of a boy who looked no older than fourteen.

He had golden blonde curls and emerald green eyes that were very like Harry's. He was dressed in a crimson doublet trimmed in gold…the colors of House Lannister and there was a sword at his waist. He was handsome but his gaze was cautious as if he were hunting a strange animal that he didn't know and was cautious of.

The notion made her feel both amused and irritated.

Calmly she set the book down, her blue eyes not breaking from his green ones and leaned slightly back on the bench before raising an eyebrow at him and assessing him.

One of the many things she had learned about the Lannisters in the few weeks she had spent in King's Landing was that all of them were unbelievably arrogant. They just possessed it to varying degrees.

Lord Tywin, the Hand was someone who was coldly proud of himself and his name and used that name to great effect when dealing with the rest of the nobles.

His daughter Cersei, whom Ginny had never spoken to but had seen many times across a room or the gardens when she was on Rhaegar's arm was the sort of person that possessed a possessive sort of pride. She believed Ginny had taken something from her and was seething about it.

Now this must have been Jaime Lannister, the Hand's eldest son and heir to the Rock.

She wasn't sure what sort of arrogance he possessed but it seemed she was about to find out.

He met her eyes unswervingly as if he were challenging her and a challenge was something that Ginny never backed down from.

So she rested a hand behind her on the bench and leaned back onto it slightly as if she were trying to see all of him and let an amused smirk work its way across her face.

"Well?" she asked. "Are you going to say something or simply stand there looking at me?"

He blinked and she could tell he had been watching her for a moment, trying to assess whether or not she was a sizeable opponent.

 _He's never been to Essos I take it,_ Ginny thought with a smirk. _We'd show him what an opponent is there._

The teenager glanced at the guards who were standing on either side of the garden entrance with some wariness, but Ginny waved her hand to come forward. "Come on now, I don't bite. Orius and Gavreen will only attack unless I ask them."

His eyes came back to hers and looked into the blue depths which were narrowed slightly.

 _If he wants a challenge he is going to get one._

A moment later he seemed to understand what she was doing and a mixture of arrogance and wariness crossed his face.

He strode forward and bowed to her. "Hello your grace. My name is Jaime Lannister the eldest son and heir of Tywin Lannister the Hand of the King."

Had she been a shallower woman Ginny would have wondered if he thought her a simpleton. She knew exactly who he was, had seen him at court a few times and just because she had never spoken to him did not mean she wasn't aware of him or his or his father's position at court.

She looked him over somewhat lazily, an easy smirk on her face as he looked at her over in turn as well, the both of them sizing each other up.

"Are you?" she drawled, amused. "I hadn't known what with your garments and the trademark Lannister features."

His eyes narrowed slightly and she could tell he was wondering what her game was.

She decided to put him out of his misery. "What can I do for you Ser Jaime?"

He relaxed slightly and she could see the arrogance in his eyes, the notion of thinking he was better than everyone else.

But although he was arrogant, she had a feeling that he wasn't cruel like Draco Malfoy had been.

 _It seems I am constantly seeing some version of my old life in my new one._

"I have a message from my father your grace," he said. "He would like to meet with you personally."

Now _that_ was interesting.

Up until that point, outside of the small council chamber, Ginny hadn't spoken to Tywin Lannister at all. She had kept her distance and he had kept his unless they were in the same room and the contract was being spoken of.

But to invite her to meet with him without her father present?

 _The man's got balls._

But she knew that the old lion had been watching every player in this great game with baited breath, eyes always looking, assessing, and weighing the risk of everything that was going to happen.

He was dangerous and Ginny knew for a fact that she could not take him lightly.

He would be an obstacle she would need to get past in order to make her transition to the keep smoother.

Magic was the ultimate weapon but something also told the red head that that was not the way to handle this particular scenario.

She would need to use words and diplomacy.

And if it came right down to it…well she would be able to take out Tywin Lannister later.

"How interesting," she mused when she realized Jaime was still looking at her. "And may I inquire as to the reason for this meeting?"

He looked her somewhat defiantly in the eye, though she could plainly see that he was uneasy. "You will have to ask him that yourself your grace."

 _Smart boy…he's loyal to his father but he knows what the man wants._

Ginny looked him over carefully, interested enough that she didn't feel the need to dismiss him just yet. "Very well then. Has your father given you a time Jaime?"

He blinked. "Tomorrow night your grace, in the Tower of the Hand."

Ginny forced back a chuckle, more amused that the old lion wanted to speak to her now of all times.

He obviously wanted to see what sort of queen she would be for the realm and why for whatever reason she would be better than his daughter as a queen.

 _More likely that he would have his blood on the throne and be able to control the Westerosi dynasty through his descendants. Gods in a way the man does remind me of Lucius Malfoy. I wonder if he is as much of a coward as Draco's father was too. It seems I am about to find out._

"Was that all Jaime?" she asked.

"Yes your grace," he said.

"Good," she said. "Then would you indulge me by walking with me for a while?"

He seemed surprised but nodded, eyes narrowed though obviously wondering what game she was playing.

Ginny got to her feet and took his arm then. She was only four or so years older than he was and not that much taller. In fact he would probably be taller than her as he grew.

They slowly walked out of the garden, the red head's hand resting on the blonde's arm and with her guards following.

They walked silently down the garden path that was lined with tree, the two of them silent for a moment.

Ginny noted with some amusement that Lord Lannister's eldest son was walking slightly stiffly. His expression was tight as if he shouldn't be doing what he was doing, as if being with her was wrong and as they walked, she felt her smirk grow.

"You seem uneasy Jaime," she said. "Is something wrong?"

"Of course not your grace," he said but it seemed he was the only Lannister who didn't have the poker face perfected.

"You will forgive me for saying this Jaime," she said with a chuckle in her voice. "But you're a terrible liar."

He flinched slightly and turned to her with his eyes narrowed. "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about your grace."

"Hmm," she said. "No I suppose you don't."

Something she had picked up from the young Lannister right away was that he seemed to be fiercely loyal but rather impressionable too.

And perhaps that was something she could exploit.

The Lannisters were an interesting family. They seemed to be united in their desire for power, at least Tywin and Cersei were. Having never spoken to Jaime before Ginny wasn't sure if that was something he adhered to, but she was about to find out.

He did seem arrogant however and usually when someone was arrogant, that made them easy to figure out.

Ginny had watched Draco Malfoy for a year before she really figured out how he functioned as a person. Unlike Ron she liked to judge a person on their own merit before she made a decision about their character.

But after Harry had informed her that Lucius had put the diary horcrux in her cauldron, any chances she might have given to the Malfoy family went out the window.

After that, she hated that blonde weasel.

But perhaps Jaime was different.

Either way, she wanted to find out.

"Do you like being at court Jaime?" she asked finally.

His tenseness seemed to fade slightly as they walked. "Yes your grace. I am squiring for Lord Crakehall who is here right now but I will be leaving soon."

"And do you like squiring for Lord Crakehall?" Ginny asked.

He shrugged somewhat carelessly. "It's not so bad. I do hope to be a knight before long."

Sensing an opening, Ginny pounced. "How interesting. Has it always been your goal to be a knight Jaime?"

His chest puffed up with pride slightly. "Yes your grace."

"Hmm," Ginny said, an idea suddenly coming to her. "Do you think you'll be able to get one under Lord Crakehall?"

Jaime's face darkened slightly and she could see the dissatisfaction in his gaze. "I'm not sure your grace. Perhaps in a few years I will be able to have an opportunity."

Ginny nodded then, wondering if there was some way she and Sirius would be able to get Jaime over to their line of thinking. He was one Lannister that might be useful to them in Westeros.

"Suppose you were to squire for someone here that would provide you with the opportunity to be knighted that much earlier?" she mused and he narrowed his eyes at her, curiosity outweighing his suspicion. "What do you mean your grace?"

"Suppose you were to squire for…I don't know…Ser Arthur or Prince Rhaegar," Ginny said keeping her tone light and musing. "It would be that much easier for you to achieve your goals.

When she looked down at him then, two emotions tussled on his face. One was excitement and desire. The other was suspicion.

She had no doubt that the boy was wondering why on earth a princess from across the sea would take an interest in him.

But her motives would be revealed in time.

"That would be…most excellent your grace," he said finally and she could tell that Jaime didn't really know what to think about what she had said.

 _Good, that means that this will be even easier._

"Wonderful," she said. "I will need to keep that in mind.

He nodded. "Well thank you for your time your grace, but I should return to my father now."

"Of course," Ginny said. "And give him my regards."

"I will."

He bent and brushed his lips lightly across her hand before straightening up and hurrying off down the garden path until he disappeared.

As soon as he was gone, Ginny felt herself begin to smirk. This would be interesting, most interesting indeed.

"Are you sure this is wise your grace?" Orius asked quietly as he stood at her side. "The Lannisters can be dangerous."

"So they are," Ginny said with a small smile on her face. "But so am I Orius. It's all part of the plan my friend…all part of the plan."

Ω

Understandably Rhaegar was somewhat surprised and a little concerned when Ginny calmly relayed to him later that she was most likely to have dinner with the Lannisters and her conversation with Jaime."

"Are you sure that's wise Ginny?" he asked. After a week or so, he had become used to calling her by her nick name but only did it when they were alone.

To betray that he was that familiar with her so soon after the courtship agreement had been put in place was not a good idea for the both of them.

"No," the princess said. "But as my father says if there's a wasp in the room I'd rather be able to see it than it going away."

Despite himself, the prince smirked. He couldn't quiet picture the stoic and cool headed Sirius Gryffindor saying such a thing.

"And the Lannisters present the wasps?" he asked.

Ginny chuckled as they walked arm in arm through the gardens. "Hmm, some of them."

Rhaegar's brow furrowed. He wasn't sure what he thought of his potential wife striking up an odd friendship with the Lannister heir.

He of all people knew how dangerous Tywin Lannister could be and even when his father passed it was too risky to have someone else as Hand.

In his opinion the best Tywin Lannister was a dead Tywin Lannister.

And he knew for a fact that Ginevra felt the same way so her reasons for striking up a friendship with his son were beyond him.

"You need not look so worried," Ginny said as she looked up at him, seemingly amused. "I know how to take care of myself."

"That's not exactly what I'm worried about," he said quietly and she looked up at him, the amusement in her beautiful blue eyes turning to one of gentleness. "Is that concern I hear my prince?"

"Caution," he replied.

"Mixed with concern?" she asked, the sparkling intensifying.

"Do you enjoy mocking me?" he asked, but she could tell he wasn't upset.

"Not at all Rhaegar," she said using his full name and her grip on his arm tightened slightly. "I just like seeing how you react to certain things. It's…refreshing."

"Is it?" he asked raising an eyebrow. "I didn't realize I had the capacity to be so amusing."

"All men do," she said chuckling. "Especially when they may be jealous."

His expression was one of complete bewilderment. "Jealous? I am not jealous. I am merely…concerned."

Ginny chuckled. "I said maybe jealous, I didn't say you were. And besides, you don't have to worry about me being around Tywin Lannister. If anything, perhaps he should fear me."

Rhaegar snorted. "I think you forget my dear that you have the ability to scare many people. Those whom you don't scare wish to be like you."

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? And you know many of these people?"

"Unfortunately," the prince grumbled.

Ginny laughed again. "Well don't spend too much time worrying about them my darling prince. In another nearly two moons we will be in Mereen where things are much more…relaxed."

To her surprise a shadow crossed Rhaegar's handsome face. It was only there for a second before it disappeared but Ginny caught it all the same.

"Is something wrong?" she asked with a frown.

The prince sighed and ran a hand through his already tousled hair. "No…Yes…I'm not sure."

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Well it would be helpful if you actually told me what was on your mind."

He gave her a brief smile as they continued walking. The sun was out, but the air was cool and Ginny could smell the spicy sweet scent of the flowers lining the garden path. It was easy to see that the gardens of the red keep were her most favorite place in the entire city.

"I'm worried," he said finally and she gave him a concerned look.

"Worried about what?"

Finally he stopped and to her surprise, put his hands on her waist so she was pulled a little closer to him.

After so long in being cautious, Ginny could say she rather liked the initiative he was taking with her. It showed that he wanted this to work.

"As eager as I am to spend time in your home Ginevra, I can't help but worry about the state of my mother and brother that I will be leaving behind. My mother…is expecting again and by the time your courtship here ends, she will be around six months along. When I am in Mereen with you, her time could come and my father…well you know my father."

 _Bloody hell do I._

"Are you worried that he will do something to her?" she asked quietly.

He sighed again and the look in his beautiful eyes turned pained. "You don't know what it like trying to keep her away from him as much as I can. But I can't be around for everything and there are situations…that she won't tell me about. Times when my father visits her that she won't discuss but I see the bruises on her arm…the fear in her eyes. And I feel helpless."

This was the most vulnerable he had been with her and Ginny felt herself soften. They had been very formal and somewhat teasing with each other over the past six weeks since she had arrived in Westeros but now that they were being open with each other…she sort of like it.

And so in an effort to comfort him, Ginny did something she normally wouldn't have done. She reached up a hand and rested it against the side of his face so that he would look into her blue eyes that were glittering fiercely.

"I promise," she said softly. "Nothing is going to happen to your mother and your brother. I've grown quite fond of her myself you know."

His tense expression softened slightly and to her surprise, he leaned into her touch. "I know, she's rather fond of you as well. And we all know how Viserys feels about his new sister."

Ginny heated slightly. "All I'm saying is there are…magical ways to keep your father away from her."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Such as?"

As quickly as she could, Ginny explained the concept of wards and when the right ones were used, they could prevent someone from laying a hand of harm on someone else.

By the time she was finished, the look of relief on Rhaegar's face was almost palpable. "Do you…think you could place these on my mother? Just knowing she is protected would mean a great deal."

Ginny smiled at him gently. "Of course. Shall I do the same for Viserys?"

"Please. I don't think my father is mad enough to lay a hand on him seeing as he is rather short on heirs but it is better to be safe."

"Very well."

They continued walking through the gardens casually, arm in arm and in comfortable silence. Finally Rhaegar spoke again.

"Do you like it here Ginny?"

She frowned up at him to see his violet eyes searching her face earnestly as if her answer meant very much to him.

She decided to be cautious with her answer.

"There are….elements of this place that I like very much. But I would be lying if I said that I didn't miss Mereen. That place will always be my home but with the benefit of my magic…I will be able to return there as often as I like."

"That is true," he said. "I hope you know that I would never wish to keep you from your home."

She smiled up at him and to his surprise, leaned him slightly. "I know. I know that is something you would never do."

Ω

The following evening, as Ginny was readying herself for her dinner with the Lannisters, Missandei moved quietly about the room, cleaning quietly.

Sirius had been even more concerned than Rhaegar about Ginny's impending dinner with the Lannisters and he had expressed so to her earlier.

 _"Are you certain of this Gin?" he had asked as he paced about her chambers. "The Lannisters are a dangerous lot."  
_

 _Ginny smirked. "I know father and I'll only know how dangerous if I meet with them and see how deep their ambitions run."  
_

 _"If Tywin Lannister had ambitions to make his daughter a queen than I can safely say we have an inkling of how far it goes."  
_

 _"Perhaps but at the same time, the man is still in a position of power in Westeros. No offense intended to the dear King Aerys but I think that the entire realm is aware of who exactly runs the Seven Kingdoms."  
_

 _"Careful daughter, the last man who said such things had his tongue put out."  
_

 _Ginny gave her father a wolfish smile. "I'm not afraid of the king and I know you aren't either."  
_

 _Sirius chuckled. "No I am not…but he is still a liability that needs to be kept close watch on. He may have agreed to our demands about the contract as well as the Step Stones, but giving him Lys allows him to keep an eye on our kingdom."  
_

 _"No more than what we are doing with his."  
_

 _"I suppose not."  
_

 _There was silence for a moment before Sirius spoke again. "And now what is this interesting friendship you have struck up with his son and heir Jaime Lannister?"  
_

 _Ginny smirked. "I would hardly say that we're friends. He's an interesting young man even though he's only four years younger than me. He's loyal to his father but eager to serve the realm. He's also idealistic, sarcastic and far too arrogant for his own good. But we might be able to use that to our advantage."  
_

 _Suddenly Sirius was all ears. "How?"  
_

 _"If we develop a rapport with the Lannisters, particularly Jaime it will give us an ear into their inner councils. I have no intention of using Jaime but at the same time befriending him is a smart move. We might have someone else in this capital who is loyal to us as well as the many guards who serve in it."  
_

 _Sirius laughed, his eyes gleaming the whole while. "And you think the old lion will appreciate you striking up a friendship with his son?"  
_

 _Ginny smirked. "He won't have a choice. "He's wanted to sink his claws into the royal family for years. In this way, I'm sort of giving him what he wants and in slowly taking his son away from him, I am making an ally of the future of House Lannister. Tywin Lannister is formidable, but he's still just a man. He won't be alive forever and when he's gone_

 _Jaime is the future. And I will have established close ties with House Lannister that will last for much longer than Jaime's life."  
_

 _Sirius smirked. "You know, you may not like it…but you're far more cunning than any Slytherin at Hogwarts. You'd put many of them to shame."  
_

 _Ginny smiled. "At one time I would have been insulted. But now…now I'll take that as a compliment."_

As soon as Missandei had finished arranging her scarlet curls into an elegant braid wrapped about her head with a few long scarlet pieces hanging loose about her beautiful face, she turned around. "Missy get the door."

"Is someone there your grace?" the servant asked.

"I believe my escort for the evening has arrived."

Tonight, Ginny was dressed in black, trimmed in golden edgings, the colors of her house. The dress was in the Essosi style which meant it revealed more skin than the Westerosi style. But she didn't care. She was from Essos, Mereen and didn't adhere to the style standards of these pathetic noblewomen anyway.

The maid hurriedly went to answer it and opened it to reveal a clean cut Jaime Lannister standing there in the colors of his house. He had the suave cool smile on his face of a Lannister but it dropped slightly when he saw her.

Ginny smirked when she saw him. "No need to stare Jaime, it's unbecoming."

He blinked and closed his mouth. She could tell that he was still unsure of what to think of her but at the same time he was unused to making his own opinions about things like this.

 _I wonder who's more used to influencing him, his father or his sister. They are twins after all and anyone who is that possessive of what she thinks is hers can only be that way_ _with everyone in her inner circle._

But there would be time to dissect that later.

She glanced up at the Lannister heir. "Shall we go then?"

Ginny quickly bade Missandei a good night and stepped outside of her chambers, letting Jaime take her arm.

She noticed he did so somewhat stiffly but she chalked that up to nerves and some awkwardness about the fact that he was escorting a princess to the Tower of the Hand. The royal family hadn't had a princess since Rhaella was a girl.

And now it was just as possible for them to have one again.

"How is your father Jaime?" Ginny asked quietly as her guards followed them down the hallways of the keep.

"He is well your grace," came the reply. "I believe he is looking forward to tonight."

 _So am I Jaime…so am I._

It wasn't long before they arrived at the Tower of the Hand and Jaime led Ginny up the stairs into the tower itself, nodding at the red cloaks who were stationed at the bottom of the stairs and at the top.

Ginny had only a moment to remember that she needed to watch herself as she a gryphon in the home of the lions for one evening before Jaime tapped on the door and it was opened for them.

When she entered the Tower of the Hand along with Jaime, Ginny became aware of a few things first and foremost.

They were in a long wide hallway with rooms on either side of the hallway which led down to a balcony at the far end.

Jaime led her to one of the rooms on the right side of the hall and knocked on it swiftly before a harsh voice barked out the words: "Come!"

Jaime pushed the door open and stepped inside to reveal a long room with a fireplace at the end of it that wasn't lit and a long wooden table where there appeared to be a meal prepared and waiting. There was also a large open window lined with pillars so one could look down on the gardens of the keep.

At the head of the table sat a man who was the spitting image of Jaime Lannister. His blonde hair was fading slightly and there was grey at his temples but other than that his face retained a youthful image. His deep green eyes were sharp however, sharp as a whip and as they took her in Ginny was once more reminded that this was a man who was not to be underestimated.

So she told herself then that she would not.

After all, a safe Tywin Lannister was a dead Tywin Lannister.

Not necessarily in that order.

She tamped down on the smile that came to mind with that thought as the man got to his feet and came over to greet her.

"Lord Tywin," she said sweeping into a genial curtsy.

"Your grace," he said just as curtly as he bowed to her.

Once all proper forms of court etiquette had been carried out, Jaime led Ginny to the table in which he pulled out her chair and she swept into it before offering him a smile.

She was surprised and a little pleased that he returned it albeit slowly and much smaller than the one she gave him.

Still it was progress and she would take it.

Ginny looked around and was surprised that she didn't see his twin Cersei at the table. She would have thought the Lannister girl would be in attendance that evening.

Courtesy restrained her from asking about it however and she decided that if the girl was coming or whether or not she chose to show up, that was the business of her father.

However it seemed that Lord Tywin was on the same wavelength as the princess that evening and so as her eyes scanned the room, he spoke up.

"You will forgive the absence of my daughter your grace. She has been spending the evening with Queen Rhaella. As my late wife Lady Joanna and she were quite close before her ultimately passing it is the desire of the queen to check up on the wellbeing of my children whenever they are present with me in the capital."

 _An occurrence you no doubt exploit,_ Ginny thought shrewdly. _The closer your daughter is to the queen, the more of an influence you have._

But she said none of these things and instead nodded. "My course my Lord Hand."

In the meantime, the food before them looked delicious and Ginny decided to focus on that as opposed to contemplating the motives of her host for the evening.

However they weren't long in tucking into their meals when that very subject came up from the mouth of Tywin Lannister himself.

"You will forgive me for being blunt your grace, but this situation is highly unusual and I wish to understand it further."

Ginny set her utensil down before gently dapping at the sides of her mouth with the cloth by her plate and raising one delicate eyebrow at her host. "What is it that you wish to understand my lord Hand?"

"You are a foreign monarch from a foreign realm," the Hand of the King continued. "A realm it seems that is very militaristic and powerful. And as your royal father has said it was mere curiosity that drew you here to consider the prince's proposal. Was not there a suitable match for you in your own country?"

In the vernacular he was asking what made her think that she was better than his daughter in potentially stealing a crown out from under the noses of House Lannister as well as her inner motives for being in this country were.

Ginny had no trouble meeting his eyes but at the same time she was used to the double meaning with which courtiers spoke. They would ask a question with their lips but mean something entirely different with their eyes.

And Tywin Lannister seemed quite adept at playing this game.

But then again so was she.

"There were a myriad of matches in my own country my lord," she replied smoothly even as Jaime who had been sitting across from her and cutting into his food stiffened slightly. "But none that would have been befitting of my station."

"And so you came across the Narrow Sea to marry a prince as that would have been befitting of your station?" the man asked, his sharp eyes on her.

"Quite frankly, yes," Ginny said. "My father has amassed enough wealth and power with the use of our dragons and armies that there really is not a suitable match for me that will equal those aspects anywhere in the world. Prince Rhaegar is the first man that came close."

His eyes narrowed slightly but Ginny smiled slightly. Good, let him think she was prideful because for all intents and purposes she was. She was very proud of what she and Sirius had managed to accomplish in the Free Cities in such a short period of time.

They had brought justice to a place so desperately in need of it and seeing as how there had been no justice for her family in her own world, Ginny had taken great pride in that.

"I see," he said and she had a feeling that he saw more than he was letting on. "Yet your father has nothing to gain from this marriage other than increased trade between the two countries and a series of islands that have been long used as a haven for pirates."

Ginny smirked slightly. "The Step Stones have long been of interest to my father my lord. Several of the pirates that used those lands as a docking point have been raiding the coast cities of Essos, particularly Tyrosh. It was a practice that had been happening long before my father and I came to power."

"Indeed," the old lion said. "And so was the practice of slavery I hear, something which you and your royal father King Sirius also abolished."

"I find slavery abhorrent Lord Lannister," Ginny said calmly. "Seeing as how it is not practiced here I am of the mind that few in Westeros are fond of the concept either."

"Indeed," the Hand said again, watching her over the top of his wine glass as if she were an interesting specimen that he would like to dissect. "But if you find the practice so abhorrent your grace than why did you not move to do something about it earlier?"

Out of the corner of his eye Ginny saw Jaime's green gaze flicking back and forth between her and her father as if he were watching a rather rousing sword match.

"Surely you of all people understand the essence of patience in undertaking momentous tasks Lord Tywin?" Ginny replied rather sweetly after she had swallowed the bite she had just taken. "Why even Loren Lannister must have taken a good deal of council before he bent the knee to Aegon Targaryen. A pity that the Gardener Kings were not as…intelligent as all that."

There was a moment of silence before Lord Tywin's eyes narrowed slightly and Ginny could feel the tension in the room go up.

"Indeed," he said even more quietly and Ginny wondered privately if that was the man's favorite word. He had used it three times in the last five minutes.

The sound of a door opening suddenly broke the silence and Ginny calmly let out a breath before she heard the south of a younger girl's voice behind her. "Hello Father. I didn't realize we were having company this evening."

"Please sit Cersei," Tywin replied, turning his attention from the red head to his daughter. "Princess Ginevra has been kind enough to grace us with her presence this evening."

 _More along the lines of you issuing a direct invitation through your son my lord but if lying is a telltale trait of the Lannisters well then I will simply need to become better used to reading minds._

With that, Ginny turned to see the other young woman coming along the outside of the table to sit down next to her brother. Her eyes on Ginny were narrowed but not as filled with hot fury as they had been when she and Rhaegar were dancing together weeks earlier.

She obviously had the good sense to realize that she couldn't allow her emotions to dictate her response to every situation.

 _That or her father impressed upon her the value of keeping a straight face._

Whatever the case, it seemed the Lannister girl had learned how to keep her silence. She sat down in the chair next to her brother and for a moment Ginny wondered if it was her imagination or if Jaime stiffened slightly.

 _Interesting  
_

Once Cersei had seated herself gracefully she turned to Ginny with a pleasant smile on her face. "I didn't realize you would be joining us this evening your grace. If I had known I would have stayed behind."

Ginny wasn't fooled for a minute. Beneath that sweet smile and beautiful face was the makings of a vindictive harpy.

 _Maybe I should start referring to her as Pansy 2.0._

"The invitation was rather last minute my lady," Ginny said easily. "I wouldn't want you to rearrange your plans on my account."

Cersei smiled again. "How kind of you. But I can see the queen anytime. It isn't very often that a princess comes to our shores."

Ginny smirked into her glass of wine. "No I suppose it isn't."

Surprisingly then Jaime broke in. "How sweet of you sister to have a desire to see to the comfort of the princess," he turned to her then. "Have you ever been away from home your grace?"

Ginny gave him the first genuine smile she had given all evening. So far he was the only Lannister that she liked.

"No Jaime I'm afraid that I have never left Essos before. I have travelled a great deal within the country so I have had to leave Mereen numerous times however but that is all."

"And what are the Free Cities like?" he asked.

"Hot," Ginny said. "Extremely hot, but it depends on where the city is. As Mereen, Myr, Astapor, Yunkai, Pentos, Tyrosh and Braavos as well as Qarth are all on the edge of the Jade Sea there was always a breeze blowing which took the edge of the heat off. However if one is traveling in the Dothraki Sea the heat is almost unbearable."

"You have encountered the Dothraki then?" Tywin asked breaking into the conversation.

Ginny looked at him carefully. "I have my lord Hand. I took the head of one of their more vicious khals. He was attempting to re instate the slave trade as my father's reign was restricting the more abhorrent aspects of their way of life. Needless to say my father views such are crimes very…specific."

"And you took his head yourself?" Jaime asked, appearing somewhat enthralled by her tale. As much as Cersei was trying to pretend she wasn't interested, Ginny could see that the girl was paying attention to everything she was saying.

"I did," Ginny said. "In Mereen many of the noblewomen are taught how to handle swords and weapons. It isn't that much different from Dorne in that regard."

Ginny saw Cersei's nose wrinkle and wanted to smirk. She had seen the gleam in the girl's eyes when she mentioned fighting but at the same time didn't want to make it seem as if she were interested and she obviously had a distaste for Dorne.

"But to fight a khal –" Jaime broke off, obviously wondering how on earth she had done it.

"He didn't have much choice in that regard," Ginny said quietly remembering Barbo and how she hadn't given him a chance to escape. She didn't have the strength of a Dothraki but she did have a lot of speed and she had used that to her advantage when fighting the savages.

"So it was your magic that enabled you to kill him?" Tywin asked and Ginny resisted the urge to smirk.

"In part. The man and his other fellow Khals had just abducted a group of children from Kosrak at the edge of the Dothraki Sea. One of the merchants had come to my father and begged for his assistance in solving the matter and so I decided I would take some of our army and one of our dragons and deal with it myself."

"I see," Tywin said. "And your father allows you to participate in such things as war? It is an ugly affair."

Ginny wasn't sure if she should bristle or laugh so for the moment she decided on neither. "My father is someone who is very…liberal in his stance on the roles of women my lord. Naturally my mother was a little concerned when he expressed a desire to train me but he only said that the world is an ugly place and that the more advantages I had the better. After all gender means nothing when someone takes a weapon and comes at you."

In a flash of memory Ginny remembered her first meeting with Vellaena when her step mother had nearly been raped in an alley.

She nearly grimaced but brushed off the dark memory. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about the past.

"I suppose not," Tywin said. "Still is it truly becoming of a princess to dress in armor and fight with a sword and ride a horse into battle?"

Ginny chuckled then as if he had said something funny. "Don't be absurd my lord hand. I ride a dragon, not a horse."

After letting _that_ bit of information sink in, Ginny continued eating, the delicious meal not being the only thing she was enjoying about the evening.

Tywin Lannister seemed to be a man that while brilliant, was very closed minded about certain things.

She wasn't a traditional princess.

But then that was something Ginny had never aspired to be.

She had had many women look up to her in Mereen as a symbol that women could be powerful and strong as they hadn't been before.

Ginny hadn't meant to become a symbol but it seemed that she had and it was an image she wished to maintain.

Women could fight, they could rule and they could make their own choices.

 _That_ was what she had fought for.

"I imagine the battles are rather fierce there then," Jaime asked and Ginny flashed him another smile, knowing he was doing what he could to diffuse the tension the room.

 _Perhaps he's more intelligent than I thought._

"There is no direct process for how a battle is fought Jaime," she said smiling at him and beside him Cersei stiffened slightly. "However seeing as how there are no such things as bannermen or vassals in my father's empire you do rise on your own merit and it is up to you to keep your place at the top. Because of the lack of said bannermen who are loyal to their lord it has given my father absolute loyalty among the common folk and in turn the magisters and whatever force they employed to hold us and our armies back has bent the knee."

"I assume there were some people who did express discontent however," Cersei said in a quiet voice.

Her green eyes as she looked at Ginny across the table were hard but Ginny had no trouble meeting the emerald orbs with her own sapphire ones.

 _Do you want to play little girl? By all means._

"There were," she said just as quietly raising her goblet of wine to her lips. "But their heads and skeletons are hanging on pikes on the city gates."

Cersei's eyes narrowed even more and she said nothing throughout the rest of the meal.

After Ginny had bid the Lannisters good night and departed from the Tower of the Hand with her guards, she was hard pressed to keep the smile from her face.

Orius frowned at her. "Are you well your grace?"

Ginny's smirk only widened. "I am my friend."

"And did you achieve whatever end you set out to achieve this evening your grace?" the captain of the Creed guard asked.

"I did Orius," Ginny replied softly. "And now I know just who our friends…and our enemies are."

Ω

 **Okay so I have moved the timeline up a bit. In this chapter there is a break in which we skip to almost a month where Ginny has spent time in King's Landing. There are some moments that we will touch upon in the coming chapters but our favorite red head's time in the capital will be comprised of a series of important events before she and the dragon prince will take off for Mereen in which things will slow down again and the romance will commence more strongly than before. In the next chapter, Ginny conveys to Sirius potential plans for Jaime and to bring him to their side and Rhaegar surprises his betrothed with something completely out of the blue. Don't forget to review and happy reading everyone!**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Another week went by and Ginny didn't see the Lannisters much after that. Lord Tywin was always around and if she had a burning desire to speak with him, Ginny knew she could find him in the Tower of the Hand where he always was.

But as it was, she had no desire to speak with him at the moment.

Rhaegar had of course asked for all the gory details of the dinner and she had been happy to tell him.

He had seemed surprised with her ability to spar verbally with the likes of Tywin Lannister and had relaxed all the same.

And it was there that an interesting conversation had occurred, leading to the both of them doing something rather reckless.

 _"Do you intend on doing something like that again?" he asked.  
_

 _She smirked up at him as they walked arm in arm through the gardens. "Not for some time I would think. In two moons, you and I leave for Mereen and we will not lay eyes on the Lannisters for quite some time."  
_

 _He nodded. "I do believe I am rather looking forward to it."  
_

 _"To coming to Mereen with me?"  
_

 _He nodded.  
_

 _"Really? Ginny asked feeling both pleasantly surprised and somewhat smug. "And why is that?"  
_

 _He gave her a serious look. "Ginevra, I hope you know I meant what I said that day in the small council just over a month ago. I intend to be a good king, a better king than my father and the best way to do that is seeing how to rule. My father simply leaves that aspect of sitting a throne to Lord Tywin and cares not one whit for the realm. That is not how I wish to be."  
_

 _"I don't doubt it," Ginny said softly. "And perhaps my father will be able to introduce you to another way of doing it."  
_

 _"King Sirius has had an inordinate amount of success in the way he rules," Rhaegar concurred. "Absolute loyalty is something my father would never be able to inspire."  
_

 _He sounded sad and Ginny looked up at him for a moment in concern. "Has be always been like this?"  
_

 _Rhaegar got a wistful look on his face. "I have some memories where he wasn't as…unhinged as he is now but for the most part yes. I think it was after Summerhall when the madness really began to set in."  
_

 _Ginny remembered being told of the infamous fire that had nearly wiped out the Targaryen line and had had them on the verge of extinction ever since.  
_

 _It didn't help that there was only Rhaegar and his brother Viserys to carry on the name but now that the queen was expecting again, perhaps there would be less pressure on her to produce heirs.  
_

 _"How did it happen?" she asked.  
_

 _Rhaegar sighed and ran a hand through his unruly platinum locks. "To this day I am not sure. It was the day that I was born however and when I was younger it often made me think that children of Valyria were doomed to suffer."  
_

 _While Ginny didn't know about that, she did know that she had a Valyrian lineage as well that had spanned time and space and Godric Gryffindor had gotten before the Doom had killed him, allowing the gryphon ancestors to survive.  
_

 _And then came the death of her family and her tumble into Westeros where said ancestors had lived thousands of years ago and everything had come full circle.  
_

 _"It was after that that my father latched onto the notion that the fire hadn't been an accident and had been started by men with….sinister ambitions. Then the madness truly began to set in and he was obsessed with having as many children as possible to thwart some sort of terrible legacy that he was convinced was coming."  
_

 _Ginny had frowned. "What sort of legacy?"  
_

 _Rhaegar looked frustrated. "He didn't say and I have never asked. Not even my mother knows. But having a good deal of heirs has been our only clue. Seeing as how the_ _Targaryen family is on the brink of collapse anyway it didn't occur to us that his motives were something other."_

 _Ginny's frown had deepened. "I would hardly say its on the brink of collapse. Your mother is expecting again."  
_

 _"Aye, she is. I just hope that – "  
_

 _He cut off again and his beautiful face became almost agonized, causing Ginny to look at him in alarm.  
_

 _"Rhaegar are you alright?"  
_

 _He blinked and after a moment the expression went away. "Of course. I am simply remembering some of the times when providing heirs has not gone so well."  
_

 _Ginny grimaced. She had heard rumors that Queen Rhaella had lost a good deal of children to still birth before Rhaegar was born and even more before Viserys was born. It must have been dreadfully painful.  
_

 _She had gone from being the youngest in her house to the oldest and a princess so having a good deal children around her wasn't an uncommon thing.  
_

 _But she supposed it was for Rhaegar, who for so long had been the only child in the keep before his brother came along when he was six and ten.  
_

 _Sixteen years is a long time to be alone.  
_

 _"Have there been many times?" she asked softly.  
_

 _The look in his eyes was sad. "I don't remember all of them but I always remember the look on my mother's face after. When Viserys was born was the first time she smiled in what seemed like years."  
_

 _"And now she will smile again," Ginny said in an effort to lighten the mood. She didn't like to dwell on the past for too long. She had made her peace with it, and even though her entire family was gone, she also knew they would not want her to be depressed for the rest of her life.  
_

 _She had a new future here.  
_

 _One where she might not have to be so sad.  
_

 _She blinked. Great now she was doing it.  
_

 _Thankfully Rhaegar chose that moment to smile as well. "Aye, she will and I am hoping it will be more than one."  
_

 _"You wish for twins?" Ginny asked raising an eyebrow and thinking absently of Fred and George.  
_

 _"Or perhaps triplets," Rhaegar mused. "Anything for more siblings. And at best it will get father to leave her alone for a while if he were to have four or even five sons."  
_

 _"Well then we can hope for that," Ginny said.  
_

 _She had already privately assessed the queen with the use of her magic and smirked to herself, thinking that Rhaegar would over the moon to know that he would be getting his wish and multiple siblings would be in the works.  
_

 _The red head made a mental note to place the wards around his mother and brother before they left for Mereen.  
_

 _As much as she had found her stay in the capital enlightening, Ginny was looking forward to seeing Mereen again.  
_

 _She knew there was no way she would never be able to say goodbye to it as she would make a habit to travel there by magic as often as she could.  
_

 _"Hope," he mused to himself. "It's a strange word is it not?"  
_

 _"What do you mean?"  
_

 _"I mean it is something we carry all our lives but in the end, sometimes it is not enough to escape tragedy. Duty is what remains."  
_

 _By the gods he was more like Harry than she realized.  
_

 _The both of them were bound by bloody duty and took far too much on their shoulders.  
_

 _For a moment she was gripped by fear that Rhaegar would follow in the same path as Harry had and it would get him killed.  
_

 _She had set her mouth in a grim line.  
_

 _No, that would not happen.  
_

 _She refused to let it.  
_

 _"Have you been back to Summerhall since…since the tragedy?" she asked, desperately looking for something to get his mind off of some of the bleakness.  
_

 _"Sometimes," he replied thoughtfully. "I try not to go too often however as it is many days from here and – "  
_

 _All of a sudden he paused.  
_

 _Ginny frowned. "What is it?"  
_

 _He turned to her, a strange light in his eyes. "Would you like to see it?"  
_

 _"Summerhall?" she asked in a quiet tone.  
_

 _"Yes, would you like to see it?"  
_

 _Ginny raised an eyebrow at the beautiful prince. "You do realize that would be quite reckless yes? The entire keep would be wondering where we have gone and it would take_ _several days, perhaps a week to get there – "_

 _She froze when she saw the smile on his face. "What is it?"  
_

 _He shrugged. "Perhaps it is the duties about to close in around me, or perhaps it is simply conversing with you but I am beginning to realize that there is a time coming when my freedom will be severely restricted. I want to spend it as meaningfully as I can before I fulfill a role of a kind and am called to do something else. And perhaps some of that meaningful time can be spent showing you a part of my past."  
_

 _Ginny raised an eyebrow at him, feeling both amused and impressed. "You've become eloquent Rhaegar."  
_

 _Her betrothed chuckled. "Is that not part of being a king or a prince?"  
_

 _She laughed too. "I suppose it is. Very well then, you've piqued my curiosity. I will go with you to Summerhall. When shall we go?"  
_

 _Rhaegar's handsome face had relaxed into an easy grin. "Tomorrow night then my princess, I will come for you."  
_

 _"I shall notify my father then," Ginny said. "I do not think he will mind either way but I do like to keep him apprised of my whereabouts."  
_

 _Rhaegar nodded. He knew she kept in touch with her father by magic who was currently across the Narrow Sea as she had informed him.  
_

 _"I shall come for you soon then," he said. "I suggest you pack some things your grace. We will be gone for a week or two."_

Ginny had informed Sirius and while her father had raised an eyebrow, he hadn't said anything about it one way or another.

In fact, he seemed somewhat pleased that she and Rhaegar were bonding.

So far this small experiment she and her father had decided to implement was working rather well.

He had laughed when she had informed him of her time with the Lannisters and how she had handled Cersei.

Lord Tywin seemed to be more incapable of being handled and Ginny had a feeling that playing with him would be difficult.

But she was up for the challenge.

Gradually, she was beginning to feel an affection for Rhaegar and now going home and leaving him behind made her feel sad and somewhat discomforted.

The voices of her past had slowly begun to ebb away, the guilt for leaving her family behind, the guilt for perhaps being able to love someone besides Harry, the guilt for being happy…it was slowly beginning to go away.

And it was a bit of a relief.

It had taken a lot of conversations with Sirius and time alone with Septimus to ensure that her guilt completely went away.

Because Ginny wasn't interested in feeling guilty the rest of her life.

So she decided she wasn't going to.

Her intrigue about going to the fabled Summerhall had taken over her attention and in truth, Ginny was beginning to feel somewhat eager to leave the city behind. There were so many poor souls within its walls that sometimes she felt overwhelmed with the desire to help them all.

 _Maybe I do need to get away,_ Ginny thought to herself as she wandered through the garden on the day they were to leave. _Perhaps this time will allow Rhaegar and me to focus on just the two of us. I know we might be a king and a queen one day but that doesn't mean we will stop being a man and a woman as well. We will need to some time that is just between each other. Perhaps this will be it._

She folded her hands together and smiled, wondering if perhaps Rhaegar would bring his harp so he might play it for her. It was one of the aspects of him so far that she had found the most endearing and where he seemed the most honest and open.

She had never been much for music when she was at Hogwarts however when Christmas time rolled around, her mother would put on a violin record that would play constantly which Ginny absolutely loved.

While the harp was quite different from the violin, the quality of the music was the same. It was soothing and placid and Ginny felt it was something that she could never grow tired of listening to.

She wondered if Rhaegar would sing along with the melodies he concocted and she smiled to herself, wondering if his voice was as lovely as his playing.

A slight heat rose to her cheeks and she pressed her hands to them, willing the sensation away before someone came along and wondered at the cause of her red face.

Ever since she had become a princess two years ago, Ginny had had so many obligations placed on her. Most of them she was happy to fulfill but there were times when she did wish time could slow down so she could simply enjoy life again.

Now it seemed she had been given an opportunity to do so.

Ginny looked up at the sky and saw how it was darkening and smiled to herself at the time. _I do believe it is time to retire to my chambers where I will have a light dinner and pack a few things. I will take Missy with me so that Sirius won't worry and I'm sure Rhaegar will have his guards. I doubt we will be missed until morning._

With that, she turned and strode back into the keep with a secret smile on her face.

Ω

Shortly before midnight, there was a light tap on her chamber door.

Ginny who was sitting on the bed reading a letter from her father, looked up and gestured for Missandei to get it.

The servant was dressed in pale blue garments with a blue cloak over her shoulders and her hair in its usual short bouncy ringlets. Her pale brown eyes shimmered in the light as she opened the door to reveal Prince Rhaegar, followed by Arthur Dayne.

Missandei immediately curtsied and the prince gave her a courtly bow before Ginny got to her feet.

He looked rather dashing in his dark silver garments and cloak. His hair was windblown as if he had been running and there was a sword at his waist which he no doubt thought he might need to use.

Ginny who had dressed for the occasion was wearing a sensible dress and riding shoes that she normally wore when she rode Septimus who had remained on the island several miles off shore, hunting the animals that were found there.

She was wearing a long blue cotton gown with long sleeves that was all one length and the hem came down to just above her ankles. The riding shoes were laced up and high so that the tops might not fall down and rather comfortable all else considered.

Missandei was holding a small bag into which they had placed some of the more sensible clothes they had brought with them.

"Ah," the prince said upon seeing her. "Are you ready then your grace?"

"Of course," the red head replied with a bright smile. "Shall we go then?"

"Indeed," he offered her his arm and she stepped out the door to take it, ensuring that Missandei shut it silently behind her.

The moment the door was closed, the members of the Creed guard who had been stationed outside and allowed the prince entrance, fell into position behind them.

Ginny smiled at them.

She had already informed Rhaegar that her guard had no intention of staying behind while she went off on an adventure away from the capital.

King Sirius had already insisted that she bring them all with her, both for her protection and so her integrity could not be questioned.

Rhaegar seemed to have no such concerns about his integrity as the only voucher for his character he was bringing was Ser Arthur.

Ginny wasn't sure whether or not she should be pleased with his eagerness to be alone with her, or concerned at his impulsiveness.

They wouldn't technically be alone what with all of the security they were bringing with them, but it was far more privacy than Ginny had had in the last month.

Everywhere she went, she was accompanied by some member of the royal family. Even Viserys would trail after her sometimes as she held onto his hand and they walked through the gardens of the keep.

As she had told the queen, he was a precocious child who always liked to play and there would be times when his nature would need to be tempered.

She wondered how he would adjust with his older brother and her gone over the next few weeks.

She blinked in surprise when Rhaegar led her out into the courtyard of the keep and she saw a pair of magnificent horses.

There was a tan roan stallion awaiting her which a caramel colored pelt, so bright in the moonlight it almost appeared gold. The shocking factor was that its mane was black like the night sky.

"He's beautiful," Ginny murmured stepping forward. "Does he have a name?"

"No," Rhaegar replied looking pleased with her reaction. "All names have been refused him until you gave him one yourself."

"Really?" Ginny whispered, all of her court etiquette vanishing for a moment. She felt like a little girl again who had just gotten her first broom for the Christmas holidays and was being told to get on and ride it.

"Of course," Rhaegar said, a gentle look entering his violet eyes. "He is to be yours while you are here. I know you have a dragon to ride and all but…such things aren't convenient in a city."

"Very well," Ginny said putting some of her political face back on. "I will accept him and ride him on one condition."

"And that is?" the prince asked raising an eyebrow.

Ginny smirked. "The condition is that you will ride one of the dragons we have in Mereen when we arrive there in two moons time."

It is was possible, both of Rhaegar's eyebrows went into his hair. "You wish for me to ride one of your dragons?"

Ginny smiled at him. "At some point throughout your three month stay in Mereen…yes I would."

Rhaegar blinked twice before an easy smile covered his handsome face. "Very well then. We have an accord."

"Wonderful," Ginny said with a nod before turning back to the stallion before her. "Then I think I shall name this beautiful creature Gavreel."

"An apt name," the prince said.

Ser Arthur brought his own horse forward and he climbed into it before looking down at her with a smile.

With the moonlight reflecting off of him he appeared almost angelic.

"Are you coming your grace?" he asked. "We do not have much time to make our escape and the night will not last forever."

Ginny looked at him for a moment before grinning and mounting her own horse with fluid grace. "Then let us be gone Prince Rhaegar. I wish to be as far south as possible before the sun comes up."

The prince's only answer was to dig his heels into the side of his own mount so the horse lunged forward.

Ginny laughed and followed him, leaning over the neck of her horse, for once feeling all of her courtesies melt away.

Ω

They had been on the road for a week or so before Ginny and Rhaegar had their first meaningful conversation.

Ginny felt some relief seeing the buildings of the capital fade into the distance and now they were riding down a road lined with trees on either side. They were heading south and Ginny found she was glad she had dressed for the weather because for every day that passed, the humidity seemed to worsen.

She silently cast cooling charms on all of the guards in their company because she could only imagine the discomfort they would be feeling with the heat and the heavy armor they were wearing.

The members of the Creed realized what she did right away and they inclined their heads at her while Ser Arthur merely blinked and straightened his shoulders as if a cold wind had just passed him.

It would be almost another week to Summerhall, but they had passed the time with the beautiful views and the fantastic nights.

The guards ensured that they stayed off the road as much as possible and out of the public eye and for every instance that they couldn't, Ginny ensured that disillusionment charms were cast.

 _I wonder how long it will be before anyone realizes that we're missing,_ Ginny wondered to herself in amusement. Sirius had been rather surprised when she informed him, but she could only imagine the look on her mother's face.

 _When we return, I need to set some time aside to go and see the triplets,_ Ginny thought to herself. _Vellaena has probably started to show somewhat by now. It's been a little over six weeks since Sirius informed me she was pregnant again, but it probably isn't too noticeable yet. Still…I do miss her and it is nice to have a mother figure in my life again who I can talk to and go to for advice. She'll never be mum, but she doesn't have to be. All the world thinks of her as my mother and I am content for it to remain that way._

Absently her eyes began to sting and she blinked furiously to make them go away before anyone, least of all Rhaegar saw.

The red head took a deep breath and glanced up at the sky. It was clear and there were no clouds as they rode along and she closed her eyes.

 _Mum…would you be proud of who I am now? Would you approve of what I've done with my life? I'm much different now than I was before…I'm a princess, I may be getting married and Sirius is my adopted father who is now king of an empire. You'd probably faint if you saw the amount of wealth we have now. It certainly seems ironic given our financial state before. I don't know whether that makes me happy or sad._

She blinked when the prince drew his horse alongside hers.

"Are you alright?" Rhaegar asked. "You seem pensive."

Ginny smiled absently. "Reminiscing I suppose. Every so often I do think about home and what is happening there." _In more ways than one._

He gave her a gentle smile. "We will be back in Mereen before you know it. I am quite eager to see it."

"Are you?"

"Indeed," he said. "Mereen is steeped in Valyrian and Ghiscari history. There are probably more influences there from my ancestors than anywhere in Westeros. Even though the Ghiscari Empire was essentially wiped out by the Valyrians, there are still many fascinating sights in those cities."

"Well there are far more interesting influences now," Ginny explained as the horses trotted alongside of each other. "The symbol of the harpy has been essentially replaced with that of the gryphon. Seeing as how those cities used to employ slavery, the gryphon is now seen as a symbol of hope for those living in our empire."

"You and king Sirius certainly enjoy loyal subjects," the prince observed.

"We find that the best way to ensure a city's or even a man's loyalty is to ensure that they are treated well, but not given more power than is necessary," Ginny explained as they rode. "My father and I operate on a policy of cooperation. In the past, the once Free Cities looked to their own needs before seeing to things like trade and negotiations with other cities. Now that they have combined into one empire the wellbeing of every city is paramount and so communication is key. When I was at home, every week I would travel to one of the cities and hear the complaints and problems that were aired on their small councils. The small council wasn`t a facet of the political life of the Free Cities in the past, but my father found it was a tool that worked well when governing, so he had them reinstated. Those magisters who bent the knee to him, my father allowed to keep their power but only after we conducted a thorough search of their minds."

Rhaegar's eyebrows shot up. "You searched their minds?"

"Yes," Ginny said as calmly as if she were commenting on the weather. "Using magic, my father and I are able to see into the minds of others. It is a tool that is very useful when determining the intentions of someone you are unsure of."

"Were these men aware that you were doing so at the time?" the prince asked in shock.

"Of course," Ginny said. "But we only employed this tool if there was extreme concern about the people in question. For all others, we simply signed a contract."

"That seems rather tame compared to the concept of looking into one's mind," the prince observed.

"Not necessarily," Ginny replied. "My father and I infused some magic into these contracts that prevented any the magisters from engaging in their former seedy business practices such as human trafficking, piracy, bribery, theft, or extortion. They all agreed voluntarily. The magic is only a failsafe we employed should they ever go back on their word. So far none have."

"Forgive me," Rhaegar said as they rode alongside each other. "But that seems somewhat harsh. If my father employed such a technique, there would be outrage across the land."

"Not if your ancestor Aegon Targaryen had employed it at the beginning of his reign," Ginny countered. "He had all of Westeros at his feet with his dragons and people were so afraid of the possibility of another horrific field of fire that they would have agreed to any demand he made. The only difference is that Aegon didn`t possess magic. If he had, I feel that the outcome of his conquest would have been somewhat different.

"True enough," Rhaegar conceded. "And you feel the success of the loyalty of your subjects hinges upon the fact that some of them signed pieces of paper that would prevent them from going against your father's rule?"

Ginny reined her horse in slightly and gave him a careful look. "You make it sound like an original idea. The lords of Westeros swore fealty to Aegon for fear of his dragons burning them alive. They swore fealty to each and every Targaryen that took the throne following him. Why is that?"

Rhaegar looked confused for a moment before his expression cleared. "Several of them owed their positions to my father, the Tyrell's for instance. Others have ancestors that were married to the Targaryens so there is that familial bond, like the Martells and the Baratheons."

"But what of the Starks, the Tullys, the Lannisters, the Arryns or any of the other greater and lesser houses of Westeros?" Ginny asked. "The only reason they have not rebelled is because they have become used to the status quo. You have no more dragons your grace and so the threat of burning them all alive has become null and void. If any one of them wanted to take the crown from you, what could you do to stop them?"

Rhaegar paled and Ginny hurried to reassure him. "I am not saying that they will or that such a thought will even enter their minds. I am just asking you to think. For all of the families that you mentioned that are loyal to the Targaryens there are others who do not harbor such allegiance to your family. Some covet your power and others simply could not be bothered. They stick to their own areas of the realm and don't care about what happens outside of it. Such indifference can be a dangerous thing."

"Well other than adding a touch of paranoia to my mindset this morning," Rhaegar joked, causing Ginny to laugh. "You are claiming that your way of ensuring loyalty is more fullproof that my father's method…or lack thereof."

"I am," Ginny said. "Perhaps it is a bit hypocritical of me seeing as how I possess magic and you do not, but our ways of ensuring those maesters who have the potential to rebel do not are more solidified than yours. By allowing them to keep their positions, we ensure their good will and the contracts reinforce the notion that they will never rebel as magic will have them pay a sharp price if they do."

Rhaegar sighed. "Now I am thoroughly depressed. Both our father's seem to rule with varied yet somewhat totalitarian means."

Ginny nodded her head from side to side, conceding his point. "In a way you are right, however it is only to those who character in the past was questionable that we have employed such methods. I dislike it as much as you do, but some of these magisters were involved in the buying and selling of children, something I am sure you can attest to being an abominable practice."

"I can."

"Well then the only way to ensure that such appalling methods did not continue was to employ a process that was somewhat grey in its ethics. I dislike it, as does my father but the only way to ensure peace, and that the city's leaders do not return to their old way of living is to do this. Again however, there were only a few magisters who needed to sign a contract, less than five I believe."

"It isn't that I don't understand why or disagree with you," Rhaegar said, his handsome face looking sad. "Perhaps I am simply lamenting the world we live in which such things need to be employed at all."

"Of that we can agree on," Ginny said soberly.

Ω

 _Mereen..._

If one were to ask Sirius Gryffindor which was his favorite time of day, he would always answer with the evening. It was the calmest time of day where he was not distracted with the complexities of ruling an enormous kingdom and where he could simply focus on his own comfort and that of Vellaena's.

On that particular evening, the sun was just beginning to go down and Sirius was still awake, standing on his balcony where his dark robes and looking down into the harbor.

His mind however was across the Narrow Sea with Ginny as she traveled south of the capital to view the legendary Summerhall, the place where the Targaryen dynasty had been almost wiped out.

 _By what strange desire does the prince have for bringing her there?_ Sirius wondered to himself. _I suppose it might have something to do with getting out of the capital and spending some time with just each other. If so I suppose it is a wise enough decision to make. They may not have as much time for that if they decide to marry._

In the meantime as these thoughts were going through his mind, Sirius was standing out on his balcony of the Great Pyramid with a glass of wine in his hand looking down at the harbor. Vellaena was sitting at her desk reviewing some of the letters that had been received over the day.

The sun was going down as this was occurring and as the sun itself set over Gryphon Bay and touched down on the horizon, the atmosphere was really quite lovely. There was a gentle breeze blowing and the king was calmly sipping from a goblet of wine to end the day in relaxation.

The problem was that Sirius was feeling anything but relaxed.

Ever since he had returned to Mereen and left Ginny behind in King's Landing, Sirius had been more than a little tense.

It helped that she checked in with them every night, told them about her day and generally conveyed her opinion of the capital, but it wasn't the same as her being here every day.

Sirius had never had a daughter before and so this was all very new for him even though Ginny was technically not of his blood.

What was even more surprising however was the fact that Vellaena seemed to miss the red head even more than he did.

He had caught her crying for no reason several times over the past few weeks and when pressed she had confessed her reasons were for knowing Ginny's absence dearly.

Although he supposed that some of that emotion might have had something to do with her advancing pregnancy.

She was slowly beginning to show although no one would be able to tell who didn't know her well enough. There was a glow about her face like there had been when she was carrying the triplets and Sirius could tell that being with child suited her.

He had underestimated how close Ginny and Vellaena were. But seeing as how they were the only females besides the servants in great pyramid, it made sense somewhat.

Vellaena issued a rather large sigh on cue and Sirius blinked before turning back towards the room and his wife. "What is it my love?"

"Nothing," the queen said pushing the letter she had been reading to the side. "Ginny used to go through these with me."

Sirius chuckled. "She will be here soon enough my love. Her time in King's Landing is half over."

"I know…but I can't help but think that it's only a matter of time until she leaves again," Vellaena explained. "At the close of these three moons that she will stay here with the prince, she will need to make a decision. And I cannot help but think that the decision she makes will be to leave."

Sirius narrowed his eyes at her slightly. "How are you so certain?"

"I don't know," Vellaena said pushing her hair to the side of her face. "Call it a mother's intuition I suppose. Now I know I didn't birth Ginevra, but over these past few years I have come to see her as a daughter and I knew her for less time than you did. It makes me sad that she will one day leave us."

Sirius tamped down on his own conflicting emotions for a moment so he might comfort his wife. "You know it will not be a goodbye forever. She will come to see us as often as she can and given her magic there are far less complications inhibiting her travel than there would be on others. She still comes to see us every night as it is."

"I know," Vellaena said. "But I still can't help but feel as if it won't be the same."

"It won't," Sirius replied. "But she will still be in our lives regardless and Ginny is headstrong enough to never truly lose loyalty to House Gryffindor. This house will always have her interests over House Targaryen."

Vellaena nodded feeling somewhat pacified. "I know I have asked this question before…but what do you think of the prince. Will he be a good husband for Ginny?"

Sirius sighed and placed the wine goblet down on the table. "I know I will always be biased in favor of Ginny but I will say that that Prince Rhaegar does appear to be a level headed individual who's aim is to better his realm. He seemed quite eager to come to Mereen and learn how the Gryffindors rule as well."

"Could that possibly be to gain some inside understanding into how our realm works for his father's purposes? Could this also have something to do with his father seeing our realms strengths and weaknesses?"

"I have considered that possibility yes," Sirius replied. "However perhaps it is simply my nature but I wish to believe the best about the future. And if those concerns are given grounds upon his stay…well then I will be forced to employ less than pleasant tactics."

"You would search his mind for the information?" Vellaena asked getting right to the point.

Sirius turned and looked back out the window at the darkening sky, his expression becoming grim. "For my daughter Vellaena…there is not much that I would not do."

She gave him a smile. "I don't doubt it."

There was a moment of silence where she pushed the letters aside and adjusted the candle sitting on the side of the desk. "How is the political situation in Morosh under Magister Rio?"

Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "He is still uncovering evidence of Ilio's corruption even though the man has been dead for almost two moons."

"Any news on the Dothraki?"

Sirius opened his mouth to reply when all of a sudden there was a knock on the door.

He looked toward it and frowned.

"Your graces?" came the voice of Gulian from just beyond the door. "I apologize for bothering you at this late hour but I have a matter to bring to your attention that cannot wait."

Sirius exchanged glances with Vellaena and snapped his fingers so they were both wearing their royal robes again. "Come Gulian."

There was a two second pause before the door opened and the steward entered looking somewhat harried. His hair was tousled and his breathing slightly laboured as if he had been running.

"What is it Gulian?" Vellaena asked.

The man bowed hurriedly. "I apologize once again your graces but I have recently received a raven from Magister Areo in Kosrak."

Sirius and Vellaena exchanged glances. "Go on."

Wordlessly the steward held out the letter to him and Sirius took it with no delays, breaking the seal.

He scanned the page as quickly as possible, his expression turning grimmer the more he read.

"What is it my love?" Vellaena asked.

After a moment, Sirius handed her the letter. "Read it aloud."

Vellaena frowned at him but took the paper and cleared her throat slightly.

 _Your Graces; King Sirius and Queen Vellaena_

 _It is with great apprehension that I write to you regarding an urgent matter. Since the princess's aid to Kosrak nearly two moons ago and her dispatch of the Dothraki horse lord Khal Barbo, his son Drogo has sworn revenge for his death and I have learned from my spies that an army of almost forty thousand blood riders is being compiled. The Dothraki Sea has been very quiet over the past two moons and now we know. Scouts have reported that blood riders have been pouring into Vaes Dothrak for days. An army of forty thousand blood riders perhaps more presents a serious problem your grace…one that must be brought to your attention immediately. I beg of you your grace to come forward in all of your strength and dispatch with these barbarians as soon as you are able. Your graces benevolence has proven great but they are not willing to accept it and so must be dealt with. I await your instructions._

 _Your faithful servant_

 _Areo_

Sirius ran a hand through his hair and uttered several curses under his breath while Vellaena simply looked pale.

"Forty thousand blood riders Sirius," she murmured. "We have never seen such a horde before."

"Nay," her husband replied. "And it will be the last we shall see."

"You intend to go now?" Vellaena asked in shock.

"Indeed," Sirius said grimly. "The best way to deal with a situation like this is to confront it as soon as possible before it becomes a full blow problem. Unfortunately I have never been to Vaes Dothrak so we will need to travel on foot in order to get there which will take a week at least by flying. Sometimes the limits of magic are irritating. I cannot go to a place by use of magic that I have never seen before and this presents a problem. It allows this son of Barbo…Drogo to continue amassing his forces."

"I am questioning the sanity of this man to come forward now with his blood riders and his horses," Vellaena said. "Does he forget the power we possess?"

"Perhaps he needs reminding," Sirius said quietly. He gestured for his wife to rise from the desk so he might sit and write a reply to Areo's letter.

The moment it was completed, he sealed it with the black wax gryphon seal and handed it back to Gulian. "See that this gets to Magister Areo as soon as possible. Tell him we will be preparing for war."

Gulian bowed. "Of course your grace."

The moment the steward had gone, Sirius began to pace.

"Will war never cease?" Vellaena asked somewhat sadly almost to herself.

Sirius uttered a bitter laugh. "Until the Dothraki are wiped out, I fear each collection of blood riders and khals will continue to defy Gryffindor rule. Sometimes my love…war is the best way to peace."

Vellaena sighed. "I see your point. But you will tell Ginevra won't you?"

Sirius narrowed his eyes at her. "I was not planning on it."

"You should, if only to make her aware of the situation as I know she will want to know."

Sirius sighed. "Very well, but suppose she wishes to come with me?"

Vellaena got at almost smirking smile on her face. "Well then that will be up to her. I've learned that I cannot dissuade Ginevra from doing something once her mind is set upon it. She has fiery blood in her veins and you know very well that the two of you are stronger together than apart. I know in my heart that you will survive this and come back together. If she chooses not to go with you than that will be her choice."

"Suppose they are in Summerhall when I inform her of what I am going to do. I do not wish to interupt her time with the prince," Sirius protested.

To his surprise, Vellaena rolled her eyes. "You and I both know that that is not the reason that you would not want to interrupt them. You are still wary of Prince Rhaegar so any time Ginevra spends away from him is something that you would be comfortable with."

Sirius sighed. "Very well, but she has seen enough war in the last two plus years that we have conquered Essos."

Vellaena's face softened. "All I ask is that you inform her of what you are about to do before you do it. What happens after will be up to her."

Sirius sighed. "That is what I am afraid of."

Ω

As they rode even farther into Dorne, Ginny began shedding more and more layers and ensured that they were all comfortable. They had taken to traveling through the forests and were off the main rode as theirs was an errand of secrecy.

Rhaegar's mood seem to become less tense the farther they rode from the capital. Though he had smiled and laughed with her there, Ginny couldn't help the feeling that the knowledge that he was going to be a king someday was wearing on him.

The moment the capital had faded from sight, the tenseness in his handsome face had slowly begun to ebb away until it was almost nonexistent.

When they were only a day away from Summerhall, they stopped for the night at an inn where the innkeeper about fell over himself in welcoming the royal prince and princess and gave them the best rooms.

Sleep proved elusive to Ginny however and so she took the time to disillusion herself and slip by her guards who were standing outside of her room and walk down to the road.

They were nearing the sea as Summerhall was on the coast and she could hear it just beyond the whisper of the night wind.

What surprised her was when a figure came into view just beyond the trees sitting on a large stone overlooking the ocean.

The prince.

Ginny watched his silhouette in the moonlight for a moment before she decided it wouldn't hurt to go up to him.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" she asked when she drew near.

He didn't appear to be surprised to see her up. "Shouldn't I be asking you the same question?"

Ginny chuckled and sat down on the stone next to him, getting her first view of the ocean since they had left King's Landing.

It wasn't as beautiful as Mereen but with the moonlight on the water and the crashing of the waves below them on the small precipice in which they were sitting…it presented a rather striking scene that Ginny found impressive.

"It's beautiful," she murmured.

"Aye," the prince said. "I think this time of the day is my favorite"

"I agree," Ginny concurred. "It is peaceful, there are no distractions and all one has to do is focus on the sights and sounds around them."

"Aye," he said. "Everything seems far simpler here."

She looked at him, the expression his handsome face appearing far away. "You appear pensive…are you alright?"

He heaved a deep sigh and his shoulders seemed to sag. "Nothing I wish to entertain right at this moment. But I am glad to be away from the capital. My father's madness has created a presence that is toxic to be around."

Inwardly, Ginny agreed wholeheartedly, but she didn't say anything. She had considered the possibility that Rhaegar might be playing on her sense of compassion as it was something that she was known for…but she also realized that all of that sort of paranoia was becoming exhausting and she truly did want to believe the best about him.

"Do you fear being a king?" she asked.

He was silent for a long time. "I am not afraid…but that doesn't mean that I feel I am ready or that I am not apprehensive."

"Good," Ginny said. "If you weren't afraid than I would be the one who is worried."

He looked down at her, almost half a head taller than her in the light. "You would?"

Ginny smiled at him. "I find when someone is over confident to the fact that they are going to be in an enormous position of power than it means that they are not ready for it.

No one is truly ready for a crown and it is foolish for them to think they are. Millions of things can happen in someone's reign beyond war and to be able to prepare for those things is impossible. If one does not have a healthy appreciation for the role than they will abuse it."

He chuckled. "So my fear is refreshing to you?"

Ginny joined his laughter. "Not refreshing…but it makes me believe that you will be a good king."

"Did you have doubts before?" he asked, his violet eyes searching out hers for complete honesty.

"I didn't know you before," Ginny said honestly. "I had no idea what to expect."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "And now what do you think?"

Ginny looked up at him thoughtfully and surprised herself by reaching up to brush a strand of hair off his forehead, allowing herself to focus.

"I don't know," she replied. "I know that I don't think anything bad."

He threw back his head and laughed. "Well that is good to know. I'm glad the woman who may become my wife does not think anything bad of me."

Ginny smiled gently at him. "I've wondered more about the future than I have about the past since I came here. If I am to marry you, will you be a good king…will I be a good queen? Will the realm prosper under us? Will we be remembered?"

Rhaegar sighed. "Gods only know how all of those questions will be answered. I know that I want to be a good king…and a good husband as well. But finding the balance between those things will be difficult."

"Should things pan out the way that I hope that they will," Ginny said slowly. "Then I will be beside you to help you with that."

He smiled at her then, his beautiful face made even more exquisite in the silvery blue light. "I would like that."

"Would you?" she asked.

"Aye. I may despise many of the things my father does, but I am rather thankful that I will not be forced to wed Cersei Lannister."

Ginny grimaced, remembering the dinner she had had with the lions a week earlier. "She does seem rather…possessive."

Rhaegar chuckled. "That is a bit of an understatement I am afraid. The girl had her heart set on becoming a queen and I don't doubt that that is a particular interest to many girls in the realm, but to her…it seemed to be her mission in life to wear a crown. I was rather unnerved by her single minded determination to be wed to me."

Ginny decided to try and feel him out. "And am I a better alternative?"

The smile on his face disappeared then and he turned towards her, surprising her by reaching down and lifting her chin so he could look into her eyes. "I like to think so. You are the only woman I have met who has some idea of how to rule and has done it. Very few women have done what you have. I know Essos is far different from Westeros in their traditional roles for women, but many of the things you have done women here wouldn't dream of doing."

"Well then they limit themselves," Ginny said dismissively. "I don't recommend riding into battle but I do not necessarily think that a woman learning how to handle a sword and defend herself is a bad thing. This world is very cruel to women and that is one thing that I wish to change. If I am to be your queen, I don't want to be some trinket who wears a crown on her head. I want to be a partner. I may not always agree with what you say and I don't plan on having children as being my only role."

To her surprise, Rhaegar chuckled. "I very much doubt there is anything that I could prevent you from doing. I've ridden into battle on the back of a dragon, taken a khal's head clean from his shoulders and established an empire with your father in the span of two years. All of those actions would be unthinkable to many women in this realm. They may have dreams of doing such things but that is all."

Ginny smirked. "Well I'm not exactly conventional or traditional."

He snorted. "No…No you most certainly are not. But that's what makes this all so refreshing."

"It does?"

"Indeed. Despite the fact that we may someday be married, I don't want just a partner or a lover in my marriage…I want a friend too."

"And you think I could be that person?" Ginny asked.

He looked at her, appearing deadly serious. "I do."

There was a sudden rush of heat to her cheeks and Ginny glanced down at her folded hands, feeling both confused and flattered at the compliment.

"I believe I would like that as well," she said softly.

"Good," he replied in the said feather like tone. "Because I believe that we're well on our way."

Ω

 **And now Ginny and Rhaegar are becoming closer, this will in fact deepen when they get to Summerhall and learn more about each other's pasts. In the next chapter, Sirius will get in touch with Ginny and go to war with the Dothraki, and both Ginnny and Rhaegar make some interesting friends in Dorne. Don't forget to review and I hope you enjoy the chapter!**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Ginny's first view of Summerhall came at a moment when she least expected it. The following morning after their small party had left the inn she was very quiet, simply thinking about what she and Rhaegar had talked about the night before.

It was the first time she had felt like there was a genuine understanding between them. It was refreshing to see that he had similar concerns and fears about ruling and whether or not he knew what he was doing.

Though she was a princess, Ginny had more experience ruling than many girls her age and she was still concerned that it wouldn't be enough.

 _Am I ready to be a queen?_ She often thought to herself and it was nice to know that she was not the only one with the same mental burdens.  
 _Maybe we should really talk more,_ she thought to herself. _A genuine relationship begins with conversation and I think I really do want to have a genuine relationship with Rhaegar. Missandei was right about what she said before we left Mereen. If I want this to work, I need to put in the work to get it done._

As she was thinking such things, the small party turned down the road and then rode up a short hill before they came in sight of one of the most magnificent sights that the red head had ever seen.

Perhaps it was just the time of day given that it was early morning and the sun was just beginning to come over the horizon, gently cresting above the water and the dawn breeze was still cool, the waves still gentle but it was the most atmospheric thing that Ginny had ever seen.

It was there that she saw the ruins of Summerhall.

It was hard to believe that such a horrific tragedy that had nearly wiped out the Targaryen family had occurred there.

Despite the crumbling rubble and listing ashes across the ground there was something sorrowfully beautiful about the site where the fire had occurred.

Summerhall had a beautiful mysticism to it that in some ways reminded Ginny of Hogwarts. She didn't want to imagine what the great castle would look like in rubble as it was too painful, but the area was very much like the most wonderful spot in the world in Scotland where her old school had been.

With the sun beginning to set the place all aglow, it almost didn't seem to matter that the pieces of this once great place would never rise again. It was sorrowfully magical in its own way.

Rhaegar didn't seem to think along the same lines she did however. The expression on his handsome face was sad as they came in sight of the hill overlooking the sea that was now occupied by a pile of rubble.

"Summerhall," he said quietly. "The place of my birth."

Ginny paused to look at him for a moment before getting down carefully from her horse and looking up at him.

"Show me," she said quietly.

The prince regarded her for a moment before stepping down from his own charger that was fit for a tourney champion and giving her a sad smile.

"Very well then your grace," he said before uttering a command at Ser Arthur to stay with the horses.

He helped her down from her own horse and taking her hand, led her towards the ruins of the once great fortress.

Because Summerhall was on a cliff that looked out over the ocean, it almost made the ruins of the place bearable. The wind was whipping Ginny's hair about her face making it hard for her to see and she almost wished she had cast a sticking charm on her red locks in order to keep the strands in place.

The lack of obstruction caused the wind to come at her full force and almost made her colder causing her black and gold cloak to whip about her and expose her arms. Ginny drew the garment further around herself and murmured a warming charm which had instant effects.

She breathed a short sigh of relief as the prince drew her ever closer to the ruins.

The sun was just coming over the horizon when they had arrived and had lit the entire area in an almost ethereal glow. The stones turned to gold and shimmered like they were being seen from beneath water.

If she listened carefully enough, the red head could hear the faint whistling of the wind as it came through the rocks all around her and made a strange and lovely sound.

"Come your grace," Rhaegar said and she realized that they had paused. "There is more to see."

And he was right.

The ruins of Summerhall were enormous. In some places walls were still standing and pillars remained erect. There were even a few scraps of black banners whipping in the wind from long ago when the great keep had burned down.

Ashes still listed across the ground in clumps and mingled with the dirt at their feet as they walked through the ruins.

Even after all this time, the grass would not grow and appeared dead and cold. It came up at a curling angle and then hunched over as if bent by the wind and the rain and the constant trodden down of objects upon it.

And it was quiet….so very quiet.

But for the whistling of the wind in the crevices of the rocks, no other sound could be heard.

The whole atmosphere of the place was one of silence…and sorrow.

"It's so…quiet," Ginny murmured knowing she was stating the obvious.

Rhaegar's face had turned sad. "Aye, I know. My mother often told me that on the day of my birth when this fire was happening, it was the loudest the area had ever been, filled with screaming people, men women and children, the roar of the fire and the crashing of falling beams to the ground below. And when the fire was finally put out…there was nothing but silence. She said that my newborn cries were the only thing that could be heard for miles around as there was nothing to be heard but the silence. Ever since then this entire area has been dominated by silence as few come here."

"Then why do you?" Ginny asked.

He shrugged. "Clarity I suppose. Understanding perhaps. My mother frowned out of all of the death that came from this place, I was the one life that was taken from it. It is a rather uncomfortable feeling."

 _I'll say,_ Ginny though grimly to herself.

"But there is something…ethereally beautiful about the place as well," she continued. "Why is it that sometimes tragedy and sorrow can be so beautiful?"

"I know not," the prince said with a sad smile. "One of life's many mysteries I supposed. Something is taken away and the essence of what is left behind is the chief property that leaves us wanting."

 _Very well put,_ Ginny thought, thinking absently of her family.

Rhaegar turned back to the company who were standing by the horses. "Arthur, see to the horses and the tents, we will rest here this night."

"Are you certain your grace?" the night asked. "This is no very defensible position. Suppose someone unsavory were to come upon us?"

"Then I am certain you and the princess's guard will dispatch them with the same consistence with which you deal with all those who have threatened me in the past," the prince said looking amused.

"Have there been many?" Ginny whispered.

The prince shook his head. "Nay. The only time I have come close to being harmed have been in tourneys gone by. And if I have, it hasn't been intentional."

 _I can only imagine what your father would do to the person who had done it intentionally,_ Ginny thought but she refrained from giving voice to her words. There was no sense in ruining a day that promised to be wonderful.

Despite the wind, the sun rising in the sky cast a dense heat and Ginny could tell that it was going to be a warm day.

"Are they any other keeps around this area?" she asked.

"We are not far from Storm's End," the prince said thoughtfully. "But I do not wish to go there at this time."

Ginny wondered at the darkening of his tone when he mentioned the Baratheon ancestral stronghold and the cousins that lived there but decided she wouldn't press him for information.

"But no more on that," the prince said as if to punctuate her thoughts. "This time is for you. Is there anything you would like to do today?"

Ginny was about to answer when all of a sudden an idea popped into her head. It was a rather reckless idea but as she had told the prince earlier, success was not accomplished without risk.

Septimus had been away from her long enough and had spent his time flying along the southern half of Westeros from the capital, keeping far enough out to see so he wouldn't be noticed by those on the mainland, but close enough that he would be able to hear her through their magical connection.

Ginny had learned when she had hatched his egg a few years earlier that a mental connection was established between the creature in the egg and the one who had done the hatching. It wasn't as if the dragon could communicate with her, but there were times when she would be able to see things through his eyes. Her connection with Septimus was something that she was still exploring, but the benefits of being able to see the world through his eyes was something she did not overlook. Septimus seemed to be able to sense her moods when they were close together and he seemed as aware of the mental bond they had as she did.

It had been a tremendous comfort to her since coming to Essos.

And it was something she hoped that her children would one day share.

Which was when it hit her.

"Well," Ginny began, an idea beginning to percolate in her mind. "There was an idea that I had, but I am somewhat hesitant to mention it."

Rhaegar frowned. "You need not hesitate Ginevra. Tell me what it is at once so that we may do it. My intention was to show you Summerhall, but this is a desolate area so there is not much around here to do or to look at but the ruins. So whatever you have in mind, let us do it."

Ginny smirked and then nodded shortly before reaching out with her mind along the mental connection that she had with Septimus so he might hear her and come. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists together. "Very well."

 _Come my friend,_ she thought in her mind. _You have been away for far too long._

The dragon hadn't come near the coast so that he remained out of sight of the public view and had spent these last few weeks flying back and forth along the southern coast of Westeros, hunting and fishing at night and resting on abandoned islands during the day.

Ginny had cloaked him in a disillusionment charm before they had docked in King's Landing so that he wouldn't be seen. She had no doubt that scouts may have seen him beforehand but after that she had made certain that he would be left in peace to travel along the southern coast of Westeros at his leisure.

The red head hated that she wasn't able to spend more time with him given that she was used to riding him every few days when they were in Mereen, but now that her time was divided between the prince and the royal family, riding her dragon had to have been put on the back burner.

Rhaegar's handsome face deepened further into a frown. "What are you doing?"

The moment the question left his lips, there was a thunderous roar from the ocean behind them and a shadow passed over their heads.

It was rather amusing to watch both the prince and Ser Arthur look up in shock at the rush of wind that blew past their faces from the thrum of a mighty pair of wings.

The Creed who were well used to the presence of a dragon were not fazed at all by the sudden appearance of the one belonging to their princess. Missandei bore a similar expression.

After taking a moment to smile at the incredulous expression on Rhaegar's face, Ginny then looked upward herself.

High in the morning air and using the wind to balance his wings and keep him aloft and coast, the red head caught sight of the pearl colored dragon by the way the light was shining on his head and diamond like wings.

The shadow he cast on the ground was enormous and Ginny smile with pride as she beheld one of her most constant companions that she had ridden into battle and in some ways reminded her of her brother Charlie.

The light that reflected off his wings was dazzling and Ginny and present company had to put their hands over their eyes to be able to take him in. He seemed to glow as the light danced off his scales and almost made him appear a creature out of ancient myth.

Which of course he was.

He had grown large having eaten healthily over the past two plus years since he had hatched and was now as large as some of the dragons of old. She privately wondered if

Septimus would be as large as Balerion the Black Dread the ancestral mount of Aegon Targaryen but there was time enough for that later. Balerion had lived a long life and she was certain that Septimus would as well.

The dragon circled the small group three times, each time coming lower and lower until he landed as near the princess and the edge of the cliff as he possibly could, shaking the ground with a thunderous crash.

His wings fanned out as he landed like great white clouds and fanned out to lessen the impact of his landing.

His long claws gouged into the soil and created large indentations in the ground as he tightened and loosened them.

He landed with his back to the cliff which created a magnificent picture backdrop for the current scene.

Rhaegar stumbled but managed to catch himself before he fell. Ser Arthur drew his sword halfway from its sheath before he seemed to remember that a sword would do nothing against a dragon and sheathed it.

Missandei and the rest of the Creed looked somewhat smug, having seen this occurrence many times.

Ginny couldn't contain her smile upon seeing the white dragon standing in front of her, fierce and proud with his wings furled back, looking like a king or an ancient god in beast form.

He looked down at her from the top of his scaly long neck and the look in his golden eyes was one of familiarity.

Completely unafraid, Ginny strode the last few steps toward him and he snaked his head down towards her so that the two might look each other in the eye.

The moment his large head was in front of her, Ginny placed a hand on his large scaly jaw and leaned her head against the space between his eyes, feeling the connection of her magic between them and closed her eyes.

"Hello my friend," she whispered so low that no one was able to hear her. "It's good to see you again."

Septimus seemed to think so as well for he blew out a puff of air from his nostrils into Ginny's face causing her to giggle.

When she raised her head from the dragon's and turned to look at the man who may become her betrothed, Ginny wanted to laugh again at the look of pure unadulterated shock on his face.

The red head realized then that it was one thing to hear that dragons were once more in existence and another thing entirely to see such a beast out of legend for themselves.

The closest Rhaegar must have come to a dragon after all would have been the skulls his father kept in the throne room in the red keep.

Ginny knew that Septimus was an important part of her life and if she and Rhaegar were to marry, Septimus would become a part of Rhaegar's life as well. There would need to be a good relationship between them and she didn't want Rhaegar to be afraid of the dragon.

But from the look on the crown prince's face, he looked more awestruck than afraid.

"He is magnificent," he whispered.

Ginny stepped away from the dragon and reached down to take Rhaegar's hand which had gone slack at his side.

"Come," she said. "Would you like to meet him?"

Rhaegar blinked and tore his eyes from the white dragon in order to gape at the princess. "Can I?"

Ginny laughed gently. "Yes you can. "Come."

"Your grace?" Ser Arthur called having recovered his wits. "Is it truly wise to be so close to such a creature?"

Ginny wanted to roll her eyes.

"I have raised this creature from the egg Ser Arthur," she called back, merely throwing a glance in his direction. "He knows my face and the sound of my voice. I would risk no one's safety with him."

"I trust the princess Arthur," Rhaegar said to the knight, adding to her statement and pausing before the dragon to look at his old friend. "If she says that it is safe, then I see no reason to worry."

Ginny shot the blonde a small smile, grateful for the public demonstration of his trust.

She didn't let go of his hand, but took her other one and reached up so that it rested against the side of the dragon's jaw.

Septimus made a creaking sound and turned his head, almost as if he were leaning into her touch. His eyelids lowered halfway over his enormous golden orbs as if he were enjoying her touch.

Ginny smiled.

There were times when Septimus reminded her of a large cat in his mannerisms. Whenever she scratched the scales along the outset of his jaw, he would make a humming noise curiously similar to purring.

"He's very calm," Rhaegar said quietly almost as if he were afraid to disturb Septimus. "Is he always like this?"

Ginny laughed at his almost childlike attitude towards the dragon. "He is one of our more even tempered dragons. However like any dragon, he has a fearsome temper in some circumstances."

She took note of the wider stance between the prince and the dragon and chuckled. "Come closer."

Rhaegar did so somewhat gingerly and without a lot of apparent mental effort it seemed until h was standing side by side with her in front of the dragon.

"Now place your hand where mine is," Ginny instructed and Rhaegar hesitantly reached up and covered her hand with his own atop the dragon's jaw.

Ginny slowly removed hers from under it and felt a small sense of loss at the absence in contact.

Instead of dwelling on it however, she raised her hand to the left side of Septimus' jaw and began to gently scratch the scales there.

After a moment of having his eyes closed, simply absorbing the contact, the dragon opened his yellow lamp like eyes fully and gazed down at Rhaegar.

"Remain relaxed," Ginny instructed the prince calmly. "I find like dogs, dragons can sense fear. If you are afraid, he will be able to tell. My father told me when I was learning to raise him that dragons' show respect to those who give it to them. Show him respect and he will do the same for you."

Rhaegar took a deep breath not daring to take his gaze away from Septimus' golden eyes. "How do I do that?"

Ginny smiled, remembering her classes for Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid and the unit they had studied about Hippogriffs. She had read somewhere, or perhaps Charlie had told her that dragons were proud creatures as well.

The same technique Hagrid had used could be applied here.

"Dragons are very proud creatures," she told the prince. "Given their size and strength and power it is not hard to understand why. A public gesture of respect generally works.

Try inclining your head to him."

Rhaegar nodded and swallowed appearing more nervous than Ginny had ever seen him before consciously and clearly lowering his head in a gesture of respect to the dragon in front of him.

There was a long moment of silence where everyone in the clearing had their eyes fixed on the dragon and the prince.

Ginny remained with her hand on the side of Septimus' jaw in case something went wrong so she could step in.

But the prince seemed to recover his nerve when he raised his head and looked the dragon in the eye.

And then a surprising thing happened.

There was a pause after Rhaegar lifted his head in which he and Septimus simply looked at each other.

And then to nearly everyone's surprise the dragon lowered his head in a gesture of inclination in response to the prince's gesture.

Ginny blinked and then let out a wide smile.

Rhaegar's eyes widened and he let out a breathless laugh, both of relief and delight.

Septimus made a humming noise and hesitantly, with a shaking hand the prince continued to scratch the scales along the dragon's jaw.

Ginny smiled. "I believe he likes you."

"Well I should hope so," the prince quipped. "I don't want to see what he would do if he didn't like me!"

Ginny let out a high peal of laughter which caused the prince's smile to become even more radiant.

"Are you well your grace?" Ser Arthur called, hand never leaving his sword hilt.

"Quite Arthur," the prince called back laughing. "In fact I feel better than I have in a very long time."

Septimus then surprised the royal couple by making a sound deep in his throat in his throat that seemed suspiciously like chuckling.

Both Ginny and Rhaegar looked at him in amazement.

"Has he done that before?" Rhaegar asked.

"No," Ginny said shaking her head. "But then Septimus is not quite three years old so there are still things that he is showing me that are rather surprising."

"Septimus?" the prince asked raising an eyebrow. "What a curious name. Where is it from?"

"An ancestor of mine on my father's side," Ginny explained, a feeling of nostalgia coming over her. "I had always liked the name and when this dragon hatched it felt…right."

"It does seem fitting," the prince mused. "Do you think that he can understand us? The sound he made earlier seems to suggest so."

"It wouldn't surprise me," Ginny said remembering something her brother Charlie had told her. "Dragons have always had a deep seated connection to magic. I could study their ways for a hundred years and in the end, they can still surprise me."

Rhaegar smiled, any look of stress leaving his handsome face as he ran his hand down the side of the dragon's neck, looking far more confident than he had earlier. In fact he looked as happy as Ginny had ever seen him.

 _I wonder how long I can keep that smile on his face,_ she thought mischievously to herself.

"And now for the next part of what I have planned," she said and took her hand from the side of Septimus' jaw before striding around the dragon until she reached his right foreleg.

Rhaegar frowned and reluctantly took a step around the dragon, hand never leaving the scaled face so he could watch her. "What are you doing?"

Ginny turned to him, red curls whipping about her face and smirked. "Well now that you have seen and petted a dragon…wouldn't you like to know what it's like to ride on the back of one?"

It was one of those rare moments when she wished she had a camera.

Rhaegar's shock upon seeing the dragon appeared to be nothing compared to his reaction to being asked if he would like to ride one.

"You're jesting," he said finally when he had stopped blinking at her in shock.

Ginny's smile grew wider. "Not at all. Come on."

There was nothing stopping the prince now. He took his hand away from Septimus' neck and strode quickly over to her side.

"What do I do?" he asked.

Ginny quickly stepped on the bony projection on the back of Septimus' foreleg and gingerly rested her feet on the scales on the dragon's back near his neck before sliding herself into the divot behind his neck where she usually sat.

"Now simply do as I did," she said.

"Very well," the prince replied, eye slightly furrowed in concentration. He placed his hands on the side of Septimus' where Ginny had put her own and placed his right foot on the same protrusion.

His attempt to climb onto the dragon wasn't as graceful as hers but it endeared him to Ginny all the same.

The moment he had successfully climbed onto Septimus' back and settled in behind the princess, Ser Arthur stepped forward.

"Your grace, I feel I must protest. Is this entirely safe?"

Ginny opened his mouth to repel that statement when Rhaegar beat her to it. "Is war safe Arthur? No, and yet we do it all the time. Flying a dragon is surely no more dangerous than riding a horse into a battle."

Before the knight could speak again, Ginny turned to her guard who had remained where they were by the horses and were watching her every move carefully.

"Orius?" she called.

"Yes your grace?" the captain replied.

"Please set up camp here for the night and do not be alarmed. Prince Rhaegar and I will be back before dark."

"Of course your grace."

Ser Arthur looked somewhat disapproving, but at the moment Ginny couldn't care less what he thought. Missandei looked oddly pleased and that was a much of a green light as

Ginny was going to get from her.

She patted the side of Septimus' neck and immediately the dragon turned around, lifting one heavy foot after the other so the ground around the ruins shook slightly as he moved.

With the sound of sails being lowered on an enormous ship, the white dragon unfurled its wings and raised then above his head to that they might catch the wind.

Just before Septimus launched himself into the air however, Ginny turned her head around so she could see the prince. "You might want to hold on to me when we get into the air and you feel comfortable enough to let go."

He nodded and slid forward slightly so that he might wrap his arms around her waist. "Is there anything else I need to do?"

"Just one more," Ginny said smiling as they faced the open water.

"And that is?" the prince asked.

"Don't let go."

And with that, Septimus launched himself and his two riders off the cliff and plunged straight down towards the water below.

Ginny let out a scream of pure unadulterated joy as the dragon sped down the cliff at a near ninety degree angle, wings tucked in around him to cut the wind.

The wind was screaming past their ears like a banshee and made Ginny's eyes tear up to the point where she could barely see.

The whole world had blurred into a series of colors of blue and brown and green and white until she couldn't make out any intelligible images.

She was conscious of her back being pressed into the prince's hard chest and Ginny unconsciously leaned back more so she would feel more of it.

Rhaegar's arms around her waist had tightened exponentially but he made no sound surprisingly.

Just when it seemed as if they were going to hit the surface of the water with a mighty crash, Septimus shot his wings open and their descent came to a screeching halt. Right before that the dragon used the momentum of the air to shoot himself forward across the waves, tips of the claws on them just grazing the water and sending droplets everywhere.

The wind blew back from Ginny's face with the force of a gale and she couldn't have wiped the smile from her face even if she had tried or wanted to.

Meanwhile back atop the cliff, Ser Arthur was watching the pearl dragon speed away from the land over the water and trying to contemplate what had just happened.

He turned to Missandei who was standing beside him and watching the entire thing with a smirk on her face.

"Does the princess do this often my lady?" he asked.

The pretty servant frowned at him. "Does the princess do what often Ser?"

Arthur tried to gather his thoughts into cohesive sentences. "Does she often throw herself into tasks that may seem reckless or unwise?"

Instead of becoming offended Missandei chuckled and she could practically feel the amusement from Orius, Gavreen, Visrael and Sion behind her.

"She is our princess Ser," the servant replied simply. "I don't think conventional means will ever define her. Nor for that matter should they."

Ω

Rhaegar was still trying to get his wits about him.

He had made a promise to the princess that he would ride one of the Gryffindor dragons when they arrived in Mereen in just under two moons. But he had not been expecting that she would collect on such a promise so early or in so startling a fashion.

However, he couldn't bring himself to entirely mind the way in which she had done it.

It had been startling certainly but breathtaking all the same.

Watching the enormous pearl colored dragon flying on the morning breeze with the bronze light illuminating its scales and making every one shine as brightly as a diamond was truly a surreal experience.

He had never _seen_ a dragon before much less ridden on one and now he had done both in the span of one morning.

Ginevra's familiarity with the beast had surprised him at first before he realized this was the creature she had used to help conquer Essos.

After that it seemed to make perfect sense.

At the moment they were speeding over the open water, the wings of Septimus a steady beat above them and the cool breeze stinging his cheeks with the water that splashed up against them.

The glare of the sun that had broken free from the horizon was shining in his eyes, but not irritatingly so. In fact everything the light touched threw into sharp relief the vividness of the colors over the ocean and the hues of the clouds. He glanced up at the heavens and noted with surprise that the clouds seem to be arrayed in a bevelled pattern almost like the surface of the water looked if one were beneath the waves of the sea.

He imagined that this must be what it looked like to be beneath the waters looking up.

It lent an air of mystery to the environmental atmosphere and caused Rhaegar to ponder questions that he never had before.

 _How many times have I looked at the stars and pondered their mysteries and what secrets they held?_ He wondered to himself. _And now that I am so close to those very heavens I puzzled at I cannot help but think about what lies beyond them._

He was conscious of Ginevra's presence in front of him, her back leaning into his chest and her warmth mingling with his. It was a comfort he realized to have her so near. This was an experience he would never forget he knew and the fact that she had shared it with him endeared her to him in ways that he did not fully understand.

It was truly remarkable.

"Are you alright?" the princess asked. Her voice was low but because of their physical proximity, he had no trouble hearing her.

"I'm not sure," he responded honestly and he felt her shoulders shake with laughter. "I remember being the same way on my first flight on Septimus. In a way it is…indescribable."

"An apt word," he murmured. When he looked back on his first ride on a dragon in the years to come, he would not be able to think of an adjective accurate enough to describe the feelings of awe and joy he experienced sitting there on the back of a mythical creature speeding over the surface of the ocean.

It seemed he wasn't the only one to experience these feelings of hyper euphoria however.

The look on Ginevra's face was one of complete contentment and when she closed her eyes for what seemed to be an indeterminably long time. Whatever inhibitions she seemed to hold were stripped away from her and she seemed as innocent and free as a child.

They were weightless….flightless…and yet doing something no human being had done in centuries.

And it was magical.

Rhaegar didn't even feel the cold as they sped over the waves and the wing stung his eyes and face. He didn't think he would ever be cold again.

"Where are we going?" he asked into Ginevra's ear so that she would hear him.

Her answer was a chuckle. "Wherever we want."

And just like that, the possibilities seemed endless. No longer would the two of them be grounded by gravity and the constant pull of the earth beneath their feet.

If there was one thing that Rhaegar valued in life it as consistency. But now that life had veered off the constant path for a moment, he couldn't bring himself to ask questions or even care.

The sun was rising into the sky over head and for a moment, Rhaegar began to wonder that it was urging them on and lighting their way.

 _Come faster,_ it seemed to say. _Come and see what I am hiding.  
_

 _I will,_ Rhaegar thought. _And now I don't have to wonder about what it's like anymore, now I can truly come._

The farther they flew, the warmer the air began until Rhaegar felt secure enough to let go of his hold on Ginevra's waist.

He didn't though, instead he only lessened his grip not wanting to let go completely.

Ginevra adjusted her shoulders slightly as if she were stretching and arched her neck to work out the kinks.

"How do you become used to it day in and day out?" Rhaegar asked. "I don't think I could ever become accustomed to soaring above the ground and day in and day out. It would always be a surreal experience for me."

"It still is," Ginevra relied. "In many ways it's therapeutic. When you're soaring above the ground and everyone below looks no bigger than ants in your eyes, your problems seem to fade away and its then when you truly feel like the ruler of the whole world."

"I can imagine," the prince said wishing he had known about this earlier. "There are times throughout my life that I wish this had been an option for me."

"I think everyone does," Ginevra said quietly and her tone had turned somewhat sad.

Rhaegar blinked and changed the subject, trying to get back the joyful feelings they had both felt when Septimus had leapt off the cliff.

"Have you and your father often rode your dragons together?" he asked.

Ginny chuckled. "My father may seem like an extremely self-confident man Rhaegar and he is. But when we ride our dragons he becomes somewhat reckless. He is careful in every aspect of his political life but when riding his own dragon Faebian, it is as if he becomes a child again with a new toy and will not listen to anyone about it."

Rhaegar chuckled. He couldn't picture the commanding assertive Gryffindor king being anything like what Ginevra had described. When he had first heard him speak in the throne room several weeks earlier, Rhaegar had been stunned at the powerful presence that Sirius Gryffindor. He had looked like a king and a conqueror when he had strode into the room behind his guard with Ginevra beside him but it was when he spoke that the prince truly began to believe it.

And the way he had looked at everything was something Rhaegar would remember as well for it was a representation of a man who was in complete control of himself, his situation and perhaps even those around him as well. Confidence had emanated from him like an odor and even though he had been in a foreign realm Rhaegar had almost believed that Sirius Gryffindor could walk up to the throne and simply take it from his father.

And that had both impressed and alarmed him.

Lord Varys had been adamant that this marriage was the only way to avoid a potential war and though Rhaegar could see the logic in his words he had been hesitant to immediately give in right away and agree.

He had resolved upon seeing his parents' marriage that he would make decisions for himself and was secretly glad that his mother had never given birth to a girl.

 _If she had, I certainly would not be where I am now,_ he thought to himself.

At that moment, Septimus rose higher into the air and Rhaegar gripped the spike in front of him in order to keep his grasp on the dragon.

"What is he doing?" he asked.

Ginevra let out a breathless laugh. "Septimus I find is like my father. He likes to show off and whenever he meets someone knew, such as you, he will wish to show you what he can do."

"Should I be worried?" the prince asked.

Her answer wasn't exactly comforting. "Like I told you before Rhaegar. At this point, all you need to do is hang on tight. And above all else, do not let go."

He didn't have time to answer then for all of a sudden, Septimus reared up above the water and shot into the sky.

Rhaegar gripped Ginny's waist with one arm and the spike on the white dragons' back in the other. His hand and knuckles went white on the spike and his teeth were clenched so hard together that he feared they would break.

The wind screamed past his ears and he wished with all his heart that he could cover them, but that would be a fool's errand to take his hands off their secure places.

"Does he always do this?" he managed to shout.

"Sometimes!" Ginevra yelled back. "But sometimes he just needs an audience!"

There came a certain point when Rhaegar closed his eyes and didn't even realize he was doing so.

It was only when the dragon levelled off and he felt Ginevra nudging him gently that he opened his eyes.

"Rhaegar look."

Somehow he managed to pry his eyelids open and look around.

It was then that he gasped.

They were surrounded by nothing but sky.

The air up above the clouds was so blue and so fresh that Rhaegar feared he wouldn't be able to take it all in. The light wasn't merely in front of them, it was all around them and the pink hues that were laced throughout the atmosphere created a veritable smoothie of colors and shades that was almost dizzying to look at.

 _Good Lord…._

"Isn't it magnificent?" Ginevra whispered. "And now we are so far above the ground that no even the clouds separate us for the heavens. We are completely free us here."

 _Well I should certainly say so._

"I don't think I want to come down," the prince said quietly and Ginevra heaved a small sigh. "Sometimes I don't want to either, but we always must. Duty is just as important as freedom sometimes and you cannot have one without the other.

She got a faraway look on her face as if she were remembering another time and place and Rhaegar wondered what was on her mind.

But the atmosphere was far too beautiful to make him want to search too deeply at this time.

"How long do you often stay up above the clouds?" he asked, searching for a way to break the silence.

"As long as I can," she replied. "Up here, the air is thinner so it is somewhat harder to breathe and can make me lightheaded when I stay up here longer than a half of an hour.

So we should not stay up here for longer than that."

Rhaegar found he was disappointed, but agreed with her. "Very well then. And what shall we do afterwards?"

"I don't know," Ginevra said nonchalantly. "Didn't you tell me that the day is ours to do with as we please? As long as we are back before dark, I don't see the harm in us having a bit of fun."

"Fun?" the prince asked as if it were a foreign word.

The princess turned around on the seat and gave him a smirk. "Yes, fun. You do know the meaning of the word don't you? In fact when was the last time that you had fun?"

Rhaegar blinked and then chuckled. "I thought that was what we were doing right now."

She nodded. "Point taken. But if this is to be a day of fun, than we cannot return until sundown."

"Agreed."

"Good," she said repositioning herself on the back of Septimus. "Then let us continue."

Ω

About two hours later, the royal couple aboard the dragon landed on a small island off the coast of Rainwood that was dotted with trees and long beaches, but was currently uninhabited.

They left Septimus to rest upon the shore and slowly made their way down the sand. Now that the sun was up, the chill of the morning air had drifted away and Ginny didn't feel the urge to wrap her arms around herself to ward it off.

Granted her cold had abated a good deal in lieu of Rhaegar's arms around her pulling her close to his body. She knew the gesture had been so that he might keep his seat on

Septimus but he had unconsciously shared his heat with her, something she had appreciated.

Westeros, with the exception of Sunspear and the southern coast of Dorne perhaps would always be colder that Essos and so the change in temperature when she came to King's Landing was something she had had to adjust to.

Ginny still remembered the snow that had piled against the windows of the Burrow on Christmas Eves in the past and how she and her family had sat around the wood fire in the living room and opened presence. The room had been hot but not stiflingly so and Ginny fondly remembered sitting on the sofa beside her brothers, watching and laughing as presents were opened.

Christmas was one of the things she missed from home.

In Essos, holidays weren't really a part of yearly life on the continent and so she had accepted one regular day after another without having any annual holiday to celebrate.

Though her life was wonderful…she did miss it.

And speaking of missing, she had nearly missed catching Rhaegar when he had gotten down off of Septimus and it had taken a moment to get his legs under him again. His knees were shaking slightly and there was a slightly glazed look in his violet eyes that Ginny knew had been in hers when she had ridden Septimus for the first time.

"Are you alright?" she asked when he had leaned on her heavily for a moment before he straightened up and seemed in command of himself again.

"I'm not sure how one is supposed to be alright after such an experience," he replied and even his voice seemed far away, sort of echoed and distant like how Ginny remembered

Sybil Trewlawney's being in that pathetic Divination's class that Hermione had sworn to loath and abhor.

He cleared his throat after and when he spoke again, he was the Rhaegar that she knew. "Thank you."

"For what?"

The look in his eyes was intense but soft as he looked down at her. "For sharing this experience with me. Such a thing as surreal as that you would think one might guard jealously and want to keep to themselves. I am grateful that you did not."

The look Ginny gave back to him was just as serious so that he would know that she meant what she was about to say.

"You may be my husband one day," she said. "I think that there might be a lot of things we will have to share and this was simply one of the more important ones."

Rhaegar seemed amused but also pleased. "Yes I agree."

They slowly walked away from the dragon who seemed content to lie in the sand with Rhaegar looking back at him every few seconds until they lost sight of him.

Ginny was then surprised when he chose to thread his fingers through hers instead of placing her hand on his arm the way they had walked before.

She was pleased by the gesture as it meant he was feeling a similar sense of intimacy with her as she was feeling for him.

They had become closer in these last few weeks and they both unconsciously knew it. The ride on the back of Septimus had only served to further enhance it.

Now that the sun was high in the sky, the light on their backs and upturned faces was warm enough to chase away the chill of their morning flight.

The prince was quiet for a very long time and Ginny could empathize. After her first ride on Septimus, she had been silent for almost an entire hour just so she could process that she had been as high as the clouds.

She had been hesitant to talk about it as well, fearing that that might cheapen the experience somehow, so she understood that Rhaegar didn't seem to want to talk about it and simply held his hand quietly as they walked along.

Finally he spoke.

"I didn't think it would be quite like that," he said quietly, his normally deep voice dying to a whisper.

"What did you imagine flying would be like?" Ginny asked.

The prince chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "The only time I have ever thought of flying was in my dreams Ginevra, but there was always a feeling of utter weightlessness. For whatever reason, I didn't have wings and was using my arms to fly which I never understood."

Ginny chuckled. She had had dreams like that before only she was on a broom in them and was familiar to what being in the sky was like.

She had also ridden a Thestral to the Ministry when Harry had falsely thought that Sirius had been kidnapped by Voldemort.

That was the night everything changed and her adoptive father's life in Essos had really begun.

It was a bitter sweet time, seeing the look of hopelessness and grief and shock on Harry's face.

She blinked and tuned back into Rhaegar, shaking herself out of the past as she did so.

"Was the feeling the same as in your dreams?" she asked.

"No," he said smiling down at her. "It was better."

"Good," she said. "Then perhaps we should make an effort to do it more often."

Rhaegar sighed. "I would love nothing better Ginny, but I fear that we won't be able to do that until we reach Mereen. If my father had any idea that I was riding a dragon around the southern tip of Essos, he wouldn't rest until Septimus is in the dragon pit and under his command. As it is, he already knows that House Gryffindor possesses no less than seven dragons and he would do whatever was necessary, perhaps even sacrifice his blood in order to get his hands on them."

 _He can certainly try,_ Ginny thought darkly. _But he will burn first._

She decided now would not be a good time to inform the prince that not only did they have seven already hatched dragons, but that there were five more still in the egg that had yet to make an appearance.

Because they were magic users, Ginny and Sirius had learned that their blood was more potent than that of the other ancient Valyrians who would have had to use some sort of blood sacrifice in order to wake a dragon….a life to gain a life and all that.

Dragons had a deep connection to magic and so a drop of magical blood to awaken them was far more potent than the blood from a regular body that had been burned in order to rouse them from their shells.

Of course there was no way in the seven hells that she was going to tell this information to anyone. It was a closely guarded secret of House Gryffindor and Ginny would be damned before she gave it away, not even to the man who might one day be her husband.

The red head turned and looked out at the horizon where the sea met the sky and knew that beyond that place was her home.

She often apparated there in the evenings to see her adoptive parents but had refrained from doing so this last week as she wanted to spend as much time seeing the southern coast of Westeros as possible.

Thinking of Mereen reminded her of Sirius and Vellaena and how she hadn't spoken with them since she had notified Sirius that she was going with the prince to see Summerhall.

The thought made her wonder how they were. She usually didn't go more than a few days without speaking with her adopted parents when she was away in one of the cities that her father ruled in Essos.

When sitting on the established small councils of Tyrosh, Myr, Volantis, Braavos and the like, Ginny usually checked in with her father every evening to update him on the council and the general climate of the city and what their needs were.

It felt odd going more than seven days without speaking to them.

 _I hope everything is okay,_ she thought to herself. _Perhaps when we turn in for the night and everyone is asleep I will apparate to Mereen to check in. It's been a while since I've seen the triplets at any rate and Vellaena is most certainly showing by now. I hope she's feeling alright and isn't too sick._

"It's so peaceful here," Rhaegar said quietly, prompting her to look up.

He was right. The sun was high in the sky and the waves were lapping at the white sand shores of the island with a quiet rhythm consistent enough to lull one to dreams.

The trees of the island were far enough back from the waterline that one had a significant plain of sand to walk on and the breeze was constant but not cold.

It was the south after all.

The sky was a pure azure blue with the only difference in its color palate being the golden sun that blazed down on the sand and the royal couple as they walked along like a spotlight.

If they looked hard enough they would be able to see the faint outline of the mainland in the distance no doubt where the rest of Ginny's guard and Ser Arthur and Missandei were.

"It is," she replied.

"I had forgotten just what it was like to be alone," the prince confessed. "I didn't realize how much of a lack of privacy one has when they are followed around all day by an armed guard."

Ginny nodded. "I appreciate the service and protection more than words can say but after a while, the prospect of being alone…truly alone is a luxury."

"I wonder how my mother is," Rhaegar said suddenly.

Ginny looked at him carefully. "Would you like to go back to the capital and check on her?"

"No," he said. "We came out here for a reason and I know that you placed protections on her. I would only be indulging my own foolish anxiety if we were to return now."

The red head laughed. "Being worried about someone you love is not foolish. I would be concerned if you weren't worried given how far we are from the capital and your father's own…temperament."

She said the word delicately so she wouldn't offend but the prince gave her a bitter smile all the same.

"You're being kind Ginevra. My father's temperament as you so eloquently put it is all but non-existent. He only has two shades in personality: his visible insanity and his subtle insanity and both are poignant and deadly."

He shook his head then. "But come, let us speak on something else. I have no desire to talk about my father."

The red had nodded. "Alright. What shall we speak on then?"

"Tell me about your family," the prince suggested. "I already know a great deal about your father, but very little about your mother and brothers. What are they like?"

Ginny smiled. "Like you I am the oldest. It was a while after my birth that my parents decided to have children again. My birth was somewhat difficult and so they wanted to make certain that my mother was healed before they tried again. After that time got away from them and the focus switched to other things. My father loves children but during the time after my birth and his assent to the throne of Essos, having children wasn't as big of a priority for him. Until a few years ago when my mother discovered she was pregnant again. It was a surprise but a pleasure for both of them and even more so when my mother gave birth to triplets."

Most of this story was just that. She couldn't actually tell Rhaegar that Vellaena wasn't her mother at all as that would raise questions about who was and bring them closer to the revelation that she was from a different world.

So for now it was simply better to tell a tale than the truth.

No one would believe her and Sirius if they found out where they had come from any way.

"And what are they like?" Rhaegar asked.

Ginny chuckled. "They are a handful for lack of a better word. I sometimes think that the magic they have gives them far more energy than my mother which explains why she looks tired almost whenever I see her."

"And they are named after your ancestors as well?"

"Yes. Godric, the eldest is named after our first ancient Valyrian ancestor, and the second born Edric is named after his son. The third, Haedric well…I named him."

"You did?" The prince asked in surprise.

The red head nodded, her expression turning wistful. "His nickname is Harry. I named him after a friend of mine. A friend who died a long time ago."

"I'm sorry," the prince said and he truly did sound sympathetic. His hand tightened on hers. "Were the two of you close?"

"Very," Ginny said softly.

Thinking of Harry caused a bitter sweet feeling to rise up in her and she closed her eyes briefly.

When she opened them again, she was a little embarrassed to find Rhaegar looking at her closely.

"I see," he said just as quietly and she got the distinct impression that he felt a little uncomfortable. Perhaps even a little envious of the way she had described Harry.  
Ginny felt a little guilty then. She hadn't meant to express the emotion she still sometimes had over Harry quite so vividly but there were times when she couldn't help herself.

"But that was a long time ago," she said quickly and the prince nodded.

"What killed him?" he asked.

Ginny was silent for a long time. "Duty…honor. Perhaps a cross between the two. I'm not entirely sure anymore."

Rhaegar nodded.

"Tell me," he said. "In your opinion, is it better to be honorable and to die for it or to be craven and to escape with your life?"

"A very philosophical question," the red head noted.

"It is."

"Alright then. In my opinion, neither is better."

"How do you mean?"

"A person who has honor and dies for it may have principals and morals of the highest calibre but at the end of the day those morals got them killed. A person who is a coward has no morals at all and has no connections to those people around him. He makes more enemies then friends because he has no loyalty and lives only for himself. Both are dangerous and both are impractical."

"What would you suggest as an alternative viewpoint then?"

Ginny paused for a moment.

She remembered all too well the House rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin and how it had led to many fights between the two of them as well as points lost and detentions issued. Now that she had the benefit of time, she could look back and see both sides were wrong.

Being too brave could equate to being foolish and being too sly could equate to cowardice and disloyalty.

"The best way that I can think of is to employ both methods. Caution and courage allow you to be more dextrous."

The prince looked intrigued. "And what would that look like?"

"It's something my father and I have strived to exercise in the Gryphon Empire since before we came to Mereen and still lived in Qarth. Courage is an excellent and admirable quality and more people should have it as it allows them to do what is right. But if that courage is not interspersed with common sense then it becomes foolish and can lead to an early grave. However, if there is too much common sense, it can prevent someone from seeing an injustice right in front of them. You need to have both. Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important."

"Courage and common sense," the prince mused. "Oddly enough it sounds like the words of a great house."

Ginny laughed. "Don't tell me you're think of replacing the Targaryen words of _Fire and Blood_ with those."

Rhaegar laughed as well as they walked along. "They're not the most menacing words but they do make one think far more than our house words would."

"My own house words have something to do with that I said," Ginny explained. "House Gryffindor bases itself on the words, _Where Dwell the Brave_. It's a lesson from the past and an example for the future."

"I hope that that can be employed into our reign," the prince said softly.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Our reign?"

He gave her something of a shy smile. "Well…you can't really blame me for being hopeful."

Ginny cocked her head up at him and took in the coy but beautiful smile and felt something stir in her heart.

"No," she said. "I don't suppose I can. I think I'm hopeful too."

Ω

They spent a few more hours on the island and then return to Septimus who was waiting for them before mounting him and flying back to the mainland.

The both of them were very quiet on the ride back, having talked about many things that they hadn't before.

Family, politics, philosophy and the past had dominated their discussions and Ginny was very glad that she had decided to ask Septimus to meet them as it allowed for an alone time between her and Rhaegar that they had not had before.

One can only have so much privacy when they are in a keep surrounded by guards and servants.

As they were nearing the coastline however, Rhaegar broke the silence by frowning down at the ruins of Summerhall that had just become visible. "That's odd."

"What is?" Ginny asked as her attention had been focused on the clouds.

"It would appear that we have some guests."

Ginny looked at the ground sharply and saw that he was right. Where they had had six companions with them before now there were at least a dozen, perhaps more.

There were also horses that she didn't recognize and two figures there in rich robes. Following them were several warriors in strange armor carrying a bronze banner with a golden sun upon it.

The symbol of House Nymeros Martell.

"Well, well, well," Ginny mused. "It seems that Prince Doran has become aware of our presence. That was quick."

"I find the Lord of Sunspear has almost as many spies throughout Dorne as Lord Varys does," the prince muttered and Ginny couldn't tell whether he was irritated or amused.

"What do you suppose they are doing here?" she asked. "We are still a ways from Sunspear."

"The Martells have been to the capital several times," Rhaegar explained as they drew closer to the cliff again. "Do you see the two that are richly dressed standing next to Ser Arthur?"

"Yes."

"They are Prince Oberyn and Princess Elia Martell. It's curious that both of them are here."

"Why?"

"Because if Prince Doran needs to send a message, ravens are the best way to do it, not by sending personal representatives from his own family. I suspect what they come here to impart is important."

"Do you suppose they were looking for us?" Ginny asked as she narrowed her eyes at the brother and sister duo who were standing beside Ser Arthur and Missandei. It appeared that they were talking quietly and Ginny could see him gesture to the sky. All at once, both Martell siblings looked up.

Ginny smirked, knowing that they must have made quite a picture soaring above the clouds towards them.

"Shall we make our presence known then?" she asked leaning over the neck of Septimus so she could whisper to him without the prince hearing.

Septimus responded by arching his long neck and releasing an earth shattering roar that seemed to make the clouds tremble.

Ginny felt Rhaegar flinch behind her and then mutter to himself. "I think you enjoy this far too much."

Ginny only laughed and Septimus dipped forward to make a landing on the edge of the cliff face.

As he did so, the great dragon fanned his wings at so that it would lessen the impact of his descent. His still landed with a jarring thump on the ground, causing both of his riders to flinch however.

Rhaegar immediately took his arms from Ginny's waist and leapt off the back of the dragon with much more agility than he had climbed on.

He turned back to Ginny and offered her his hand which she took with a smile.

The moment they were both down from the dragon, the red head could see Ser Arthur making his way through the ruins towards them, leaving the rest of the guard and the Martell siblings behind.

"Your grace," he called. "Are you well?"

Ginny distinctly saw Rhaegar roll his eyes upward slightly as they walked arm in arm towards the knight.

"I am perfectly well Arthur," he replied.

The knight came to a stop in front of him then and Rhaegar lowered his tone exponentially so no one else but the three of them would hear. "I am rather curious as to why

Prince Oberyn and Princess Elia are here. When did they arrive and what are they doing here?"

"They arrived no more than a half of an hour ago your grace," the knight explained. "Apparently it came to Prince Doran's attention that you had crossed into Dorne on a somewhat informal visit and he wishes to…invite you and the princess to Sunspear."

Rhaegar blinked and the somewhat overt display of attempted ingratiation. He had always liked the Dornish as they had more than any other realm in Westeros had a long standing tradition of equality between men and women.

Rhaegar had always secretly favored that view growing up with a mother who was abused by his father on a consistent basis.

What gave him pause however was the fact that Prince Doran was as shrewd a player in the game of thrones as anyone perhaps even Lord Tywin or Lord Varys. If he wished to invite them to Sunspear, Rhaegar had a feeling that it had less to do with him and more to do with making an ally of Princess Ginevra, both as the potential new queen and as a daughter of a man with a massive empire across the sea.

 _Though she is much more than that,_ he thought to himself looking down at the red head by his side.

In the meantime, Ginny was rather intrigued by the invitation. "It sounds interesting enough. Refusing an invitation from a prince would be rude wouldn't it?"

"Yes, it would be," Rhaegar said slowly trying to stall for time so he could think. "But are you sure you wish to travel another several days, a week or so more to reach Sunspear?

We have already been on the road for a week already. And it will take an extensive amount of time to return."

Ginny chuckled. "If it bothers you that much Rhaegar, I will use my magic at the conclusion of our trip to transport us back to King's Landing so there will be no time lost."

The prince sighed, knowing that there would be no way to dissuade her once she had made her mind up about something. She was just that sort of woman.

"Very well," he said.

"Good," the red head said clapping her hands together. "Then let's meet our hosts from Sunspear, we can't stay over here talking for too much longer or else we will be seen as impolite."

Rhaegar nodded and took her hand again, following Ser Arthur back through the ruins to where the horses were along with the rest of their guard.

The first thing Ginny noticed about the Martell siblings were their dark good looks. Their olive skin had been kissed by the sun and their deep brown eyes were set deeply into their faces, framing their aristocratic but sultry features permanently.

However despite their physical similarities, there were subtle differences in their expressions that Ginny noticed right away.

Oberyn had the sultry expression of a cat that had just eaten a hard won canary and his pose as he stood watching the royal couple approach was somewhat feline. His eyes were the dark and luminous orbs of someone who was hugely confident in himself and very nonchalant in his attitude. He was extremely handsome but in a way that Ginny remembered seeing on the faces of many of the boys of Durmstrang when they had come to Hogwarts for a visit in her third year. They were extremely arrogant and superior which had been a bit of a turn off. Not all of them expressed those qualities and Viktor Krum had been surprisingly not one of them but there were those all the same. He would be an interesting personality to be sure.

His eyes raked over her body without shame and Ginny felt a spike of irritation mixed with a subtle form of mild amusement.

 _He seems like a handful,_ she thought to herself. _Perhaps a bit of the philandering type, knows no bounds sort of man. He has the same look in his eyes as a few of the boys I went to school with at Hogwarts. Ah well if he tries the same sort of nonsense on me I will show him what it means to be a Gryffindor._

His eyes flicked to the dragon that was waiting on the cliff behind them, eyeing the four as if he understood what was going on completely and the emotion in his dark eyes was one that she could not read.

 _Interesting._

His sister standing next to him was also a beautiful woman with miles of dark silky hair and luminous golden brown eyes. She had a kind smile and even kinder eyes. She was dressed in bronze and had the sultry curves of those who seemed to be characteristically Dornish but she didn't bear the same sultry expression as her brother which made

Ginny think that this girl could be a good friend.

"Prince Oberyn, Princess Elia," Rhaegar said as he stopped in front of the pair of siblings. "How wonderful to see you. We did not expect such a visit so soon."

 _Or so informally,_ was the unspoken line.

Oberyn opened his mouth but Elia beat him to it. "Forgive us your grace. When our brother Prince Doran heard that you had crossed in Dorne with the Princess Ginevra, he was eager to meet her and sent us on ahead to offer his greetings and welcome you to Dorne and to invite you to Sunspear."

 _I can see this one is the diplomat in the Martell household,_ Ginny thought to herself in amusement. _She seems good at it._

"And we thank the prince for his greetings," Ginny said before Rhaegar could speak giving Elia a warm smile. "We would be honored to accept his invitation."

"Wonderful," Prince Oberyn said. "I think I speak for all of House Martell when I say that we have all been eager to meet you your grace."

Rhaegar cleared his throat slightly, but Ginny was somewhat amused. "Have you? How odd because my father has told me a great deal about Dorne when he was still a merchant and sailing to the different ports in Westeros. He told me that it was his favorite place in all of this great country. I hope that I have the same experiences he did."

Oberyn's smile grew. "I have no doubt you will your grace."

Rhaegar ran a hand through his hair and made a sound that distinctly sounded like a sigh. _I hope we all do._

Fortunately the awkwardness of the conversation was replaced when Princess Elia looked at the dragon behind the royal couple and her face broke into a smile mixed with the same awe that Rhaegar had exhibited earlier.

"He's beautiful," she murmured. "I've never seen a dragon before, only in pictures."

Instantly Ginny's face changed from amusement to fondness. "It is quite a surreal experience seeing one."

"I'd imagine so," the princess said. "I would also imagine that it is an even more surreal experience to ride on one."

"It is," Ginny replied. "I have been doing it for a few years now and I don't think I will ever become tired of it."

"Imagine dragons have become a part of the world again," Elia said softly, her eyes never having moved from the magnificent white creature. "The ancient world has come back to us."

Ginny looked at Elia and decided right then and there that she was going to be a friend. Perhaps even a close one.

After a moment, she turned back to Rhaegar. "If we are to travel to Sunspear, shouldn't be leaving as soon as possible? It's still a long road and we can still cover a few hours before dark."

"An excellent idea," Oberyn posited. "It was purely luck that we chanced upon you your graces. We did not know Summerhall would be your destination."

 _No one did,_ Rhaegar thought to himself.

He glanced at Ginny whose expression hadn't changed from one of politeness. _I hope she knows what she's getting into. I will say that Dorne contains some of the more…shameless people in Westeros. Then again she is from Essos, a land which is not so stiff in its policies as the northern half of Westeros…perhaps it will be alright._

He signalled to Ser Arthur to bring around the horses and the Creed guard brought up Ginevra's mount.

"One moment," Ginevra said. "I will send Septimus off and then we can be on our way."

She hurriedly picked up her long skirts and stepped lightly over the ground until she reached the dragon who snaked his long head down to her.

Reaching up a hand, Ginny rested her hand against the side of his scaled jawline.

 _Thank you my friend,_ she said, communicating through her mental bond with him. _Go and rest now. I'm sure you're tired._

Septimus blew a breath of air gently into her face and Ginny smiled. A moment later, he turned, raised his enormous wings and took to the skies.

Ginny watched him for a moment until he became nothing more than a dot in the clouds before she turned back to the company and strode for her horse.

She felt a curious lump in her throat as he disappeared. She knew she would see him again, but she also knew this was an afternoon that she would never forget.

Rhaegar caught her hand before he helped her onto her horse. "Are you well?"

She gave him a genuine smile. "I am much better than that."

As soon as all parties were on their horses, Prince Oberyn kicked his heels in to the side of his mount. "To Sunspear!"

As they got back onto the road to continue south, Ginny looked back to the sky and smiled to herself.

 _To Sunspear indeed._

Ω

 _Mereen…_

Sirius had been up for most of the night planning.

He had dictated letters, sent ravens and spoken with Gulian for over an hour about the best route to Kosrak.

The day had now come and he was busy coordinating both with the commander of the Unsullied as well as Rasheed the second in command of the Creed now that Orius was in Westeros with Ginny.

He had also made plans to bring all six of the family dragons with them. Septimus was in Westeros with Ginny as well so he could not count on that form of assistance but he also knew that he wouldn't need it.

Six dragons….

Gods….

Never before had such a number been seen in battle together.

And barring a catastrophe, never again.

"You are intending to tell Ginny of your task aren't you?" Vellaena asked, standing before his desk with her hands on her hips and one eyebrow raised. "You leave in nine days for the Dothraki Sea and Vaes Dothrak."

"Yes darling," the king replied. "I will inform her before I leave."

"Good," the queen said. "If she is with you then I don't doubt that the both of you will come back alive. This little one I am carrying needs its father and sister."

Sirius softened slightly as he looked up at his wife who was doing an admirable job of being strong but whom he could also tell was nervous.

"I will return to you my dear," he said. "I made that promise when we married and time does not render it void.

"Good," she said.

It was only after she had left that Sirius contemplated what he was about to do. If all went according to plan, another field of fire might be imminent.

Except this time it would be forty thousand souls as opposed to four thousand.

 _It will be a massacre,_ he though grimly. _I just hope it doesn't come to that. I do not want to do this but if Drogo forces my hand…I will have no choice. I do not want to be known as a king who burned forty thousand souls. I am a conqueror but I am not a butcher. Gods help us all._

Ω

 **Okay so after having looked at a map of Westeros, I know that Summerhall is nowhere near the ocean, but for the purposes of the this story I planned it that way. Also seeing as how Rhaegar and Ginny have been traveling in Dorne for almost a week, I don't think it is too unbelievable that someone would have seen them at some point and notified Doran, one of the owners of an inn or a passing traveler, whatever the case. For those of you who know me, you know that the Martells are my favorite family in Westeros and Elia is one of my favorite cannon characters. Her death enraged me even though it is only talked about in the books and whenever I write her in any story I am giving you guys a heads up now that she is going to live. Anyway, the next chapter will focus on their stay in Sunspear and have more Sirius in it as he prepares for war with the Dothraki in which Ginny will play a role. Don't forget to review and happy reading everyone!**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

They rode for a few hours with little being said.

Ginny made sure to ride beside Elia Martell and the two began to engage in quiet conversation about her time in Westeros.

The red head liked the Martell girl. She seemed sweet and gentle and reminded Ginny a good deal of one of Luna's friends Padma Patil. She hadn't known the Indian girl well but she had seemed to be sweet and studious and loyal. Ginny remembered being a little envious of the fact that she and her sister had gone to the Yule Ball with Harry.

But that had been a long time ago.

Elia Martell seemed genuinely interested in Essos which she had fascinatingly enough had never been to.

"Was it a bit of a shock coming to Westeros?" Elia asked quietly as they rode along on the southern road leading to Sunspear.

The day was warm and calm leading to a light breeze blowing towards the royal party from the ocean and the sound of bird cries high overhead in the afternoon air. It was an atmosphere of calm which reflected Ginny's own personal state after spending most of the day with Rhaegar and Septimus.

If her father had been there it would have been a perfect day.

Spending time with Rhaegar lightly had become far more natural and she had become more comfortable in his presence since they had decided to go on this little trip and the pressure of living at court had diminished significantly.

He still made her heart flutter and seeing more of his mind and his own heart had been helpful in assessing his person and seeing if he was the sort of person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

Right now if she had had to give an answer as to whether or not she would marry him Ginny was leaning towards an affirmative answer. She had become increasingly more comfortable and happy in his presence and she was glad to have it continue.

She cast a look at the handsome dragon. _I have yet to see how he handles a crisis and knowing that is important. Running a kingdom is a stressful thing and I want to see how pressure molds this man, whether it will crush him or make him a diamond._

"Not really," she said turning back to the Dornish princess. "In many ways, Essos is far more liberal than Westeros in that there are no hierarchies outside of cities before my father and I came along. Magisters were the only sort of power aside from the Wise Masters in the eastern cities before my father and I wiped them out. There were a majority of them that were so full of their own importance that they were unable to see beyond their own noses much like it is with some of the nobles here. Different hierarchies but the same people. It wasn't too much different."

"My, you're bold aren't you?" Elia asked.

"To quote a famous phrase used by the great Tywin Lannister," Ginny said lowering her tone exponentially so that no one around could hear them. "The lion does not concern themselves with the opinion of the sheep. I am only giving voice to the thoughts and actions of every noble in this country who believes they can do whatever they want without any sort of consequences."

"A form of political mockery then?" Elia asked.

"Political satire at its finest," Ginny concurred. "I find it so amusing that nobles pay lip service to all those in power over them but when someone talks about what they are really thinking they become shocked and call it bold. It's not bold at all, its realistic and those who deny that are fools."

Elia chuckled. "I have a feeling my brother is going to like you."

Ginny smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "The more allies we have in Westeros the better. And who better than Dorne to fill that role?"

She could practically hear her father's chuckling in her head as the words left her mouth. When he had still been in Westeros, she and Sirius had made it a habit to keep an eye on Dorne as they were the most liberal territory in Westeros and would present the most reliable allies.

Ginny herself wondered whether or not he was still considering the idea of making an alliance with Prince Doran through marriage.

From what she heard his daughter Arianne was only around the age of her brother Godric and what sort of woman she would grow up to be. The Dornish were more of a liberal people than the rest of Westeros and had more respect for women than any other of the regions and lord in the realm which was what made her more receptive to them.

Ginny was still a Weasley and like her mother, she liked to cut through the nonsense by treating people as they actually were and not as their title dictated. She had cut through the nonsense with Malfoy, with the Death Eaters with Snape and with her own family when they started to get too big for their britches.

Unfortunately now that she was a princess she had a responsibility to watch her words and make sure that no one was given a reason to rebel against the crown; not that that they actually could but the principle still applied.

However at the moment she was not queen of this realm and it was somewhat fun to have a private joke or two at the nobles' expense.

"After anyone who likes to make fun of Tywin Lannister is someone that my brother will wish to meet," Elia muttered and Ginny frowned at each other.

"I sense there is a story there," she said and Elia gave her a sad smile.

"Before Joanna Lannister and my own mother died they were very good friends and it the wish of both of them to see the Martells and Lannisters connected through marriage. I was to potentially marry Jaime and Oberyn was to potentially marry Cersei. However after Lady Joanna passed away in child birth with the youngest Lannister Tyrion, myself and Oberyn came for one final visit in which Lord Tywin insulted us and House Martell by offering me the youngest son to wed which was a deformed dwarf."

Her tone didn't contain contempt or scorn for the person that she had been offered to, instead she seemed rather sad. Her tone however took on an icy hue when discussing the actions of the Hand of the King and what he had done.

Ginny who already hadn't like Tywin Lannister even before her dinner with him in which they had had to cross verbal swords was somewhat affronted by the atrocious manner in which the man had treated his guests.

"Oberyn and I have not been back to the Westerlands since and to this day he cannot mention the name Lannister without his lip curling into a sneer," Elia continued.

Ginny sighed and cast a look at Rhaegar and the Dornish prince who were riding close together and speaking quietly in tones that she could not hear. He didn't seem like he would be able to hold a grudge with his easy smile and feline virile manner but Ginny knew enough to not judge a book by its cover.

 _Interesting,_ she thought to herself.

A feud between the Lannisters and the Martells was an interesting prospect especially since Ginny's mother herself had almost been part of an arranged marriage that she would have hated. In the end however it would have proved a bridge between two ancient houses.

 _I wonder if there is a way to bridge this feud,_ she thought absently to herself. _Jaime and Elia seem to be the most sane Martell and the most sane Lannister…I wonder if they would make a good match._

"Would you have had any objection to becoming Lady Lannister?" Ginny asked slowly.

Elia didn't seem to be aware of what she was doing.

"No your grace," she said. "I wouldn't. We were friends when we were children as our mothers were very close and we were great playmates. Cersei even was not so controlling when her mother was still alive. But after Lady Joanna died…it changed her, it changed all of them to be honest. Lord Tywin was always a hard man before the death of his lady wife but he did love her a great deal and he was never the same after she was gone. Because of that I couldn't find it in my heart to judge her too harshly."

 _Yes I think you and I are going to be very good friends Elia._

"In fact," the Dornish princess went on. "Jaime wrote me after the last time his father had insulted us and sent us on our way to apologize for his father's actions. I never showed it to Oberyn as I knew he wouldn't understand but I accepted his apology. And we've kept in touch after all of these years in letters."

"You have?" Ginny asked an idea beginning to percolate in her mind. "That's good."

Elia was about to answer her when all of a sudden Rhaegar suddenly drew his horse to a halt. "I believe we shall stop here for the night."

Ginny glanced up at the horizon and noted with surprise that the sun was indeed sinking behind the clouds.

"Good lord have we traveled that far that fast?" she asked.

Elia chuckled. "It appears that we have. Another week or so and we should be in Sunspear."

Ginny remembered that her father had told her that Dorne and Sunspear were a little bit like Egypt in terms of the desert and oasis's scattered throughout. There were no pyramids but the ancient city and palace of Sunspear were supposed to be a sight to behold and Ginny recalled that her adoptive father had called it his favorite place in all of Westeros when he had been a merchant.

She hoped it would be one of hers too.

The red head assisted with the tent erection by waving her hand and seeing that they were put up within the blink of an eye.

The look of surprise and awe on Elia's face was a sight to behold and Oberyn's gaze on her seemed to grow even heavier.

Though Sirius had told her that she shouldn't feel the need to hide her magic while she was in Westeros as it would make people less likely to cross her, Ginny was still amused at how new it seemed to people.

She had no doubts that word of her abilities had travelled throughout the country since she had arrived in the capital weeks earlier. It was a little funny seeing how different people reacted to it.

Sirius seemed to enjoy viewing the reactions even more than she did and that was no more evident than when he had changed the chair he had been given with a wave of his hand on their first night in Westeros.

 _I'm sure that soon enough people will become used to seeing and hearing about it,_ Ginny thought to herself.

In the meantime, she left her horse to be cared for by her guards and made her way over to where the other three royals were standing.

"This will be your first trip to Dorne your grace?" Oberyn Martell asked, his eyes raking over her form in a completely inappropriate but at the same time telling manner.

 _He's going to require some careful handling,_ Ginny thought to herself. _However he seems entirely devoted to his sister and that is a point in his favor. He might prove to be a good friend…in time._

"Yes," she said. "But my father has told me so much about it on his trips here before he claimed the throne of Essos that I am all the more eager to see it."

"We were fortunate to have King Sirius with us more than once before he was a king," Elia said casting her brother an odd look to which the prince smirked even more wickedly. "He did seem to enjoy it."

 _What the bloody hell does that mean?_ Ginny thought to herself.

Sirius always had a lazy smile on his face whenever he talked about Dorne and how much he had enjoyed himself there and Ginny had always assumed that that was because the women were more talented than any other place that he had visited in Westeros.

She was not blind to the fact that Sirius had had a past even before he had fallen through the Veil and had been at school. Remus had often rolled his eyes when talking about it and Ginny had never asked though from seeing all the pictures of what a looker a younger Sirius Black was, it wasn't hard to guess that he had had his pick of the females in the school.

The red head wasn't sure to be amused at how in character that was, or offended on behalf of the people whose hearts he had broken.

In the end she decided it wasn't worth worrying about.

Instead of letting all of her thoughts be known and having an odd feeling that Oberyn was simply trying to get a rise out of her, Ginny decided she wasn't going to come to the bait and simply gave the prince a lazy smile.

"He did tell me that it was unlike any other place he had visited and it was his favorite place to trade whenever he did come to Westeros, perhaps when I come to Sunspear I will see why."

Oberyn's eyes darkened with an unknown emotion although Ginny had a feeling that she knew what it was. She almost felt sorry for Rhaegar who was looking back and forth between them as if they were discussing a joke unknown to him.

His violet eyes focused on her blue ones and he raised a pale brow to which she gave him a gentle smile.

Thankfully, Elia changed the subject. "How is your father your grace? We were sorry that we were not able to come for your joint stay in King's Landing."

"I'm sure he will appreciate that," Ginny said easily as the four of them stood apart from the rest of their party. "He does like to make an impression my father."

Rhaegar chuckled to himself prompting Ginny to glance at him. "King Sirius does seem to have a flair for the theatrical."

 _I wonder how he would react if he were to meet Professors Snape or Dumbledore?_

"He does," Ginny supplied. "But I like to think that a good deal of it calmed down when he met and married my mother. She helps temper him I think."

"And what man doesn't need that?" Elia asked giving her brother a pointed look that said he might benefit from the same thing. "After all when the men require some guidance, we are always there to provide it."

Ginny chuckled to herself and caught Rhaegar's eye, who was giving her an almost heated look. "That we do."

The prince's eyes darkened and Ginny unconsciously shivered.

Elia continued to talk, but the red head was no longer paying attention…her mind having shifted to other things.

It wouldn't be long before there was only one thing on her mind however and it would have nothing to do with the new friends she had made and the atmosphere around them.

Ω

Rhaegar was having a hard time sleeping.

He didn't think it had anything to do with the fact that he was sleeping on hard ground as they had done that more than once throughout the last week since he and Ginevra had left the capital.

And speaking of the princess…

He sighed and sat up from his bed roll running a hand through his hair which was already mused beyond belief.

It was useless…sleep was proving far too elusive and even after his fantastic ride on Septimus earlier in the day he still did not feel tired.

Perhaps that was going to be the feeling he always had when he was around her…never ending exuberance.

 _I can't say that a feeling like the one she brought out in me this morning would be a bad thing to have,_ the crown prince thought to himself rubbing the side of his face wryly.

With one simple act Ginevra had made him feel more alive than he had felt in a long time of living in the capital.

Septimus was truly a remarkable creature but it wasn't just him that Rhaegar was having a difficult time putting into words.

He was very touched that Ginny had chosen to share such a personal experience with him. He had a feeling that he was the first person that she had ridden her dragon with and that was a profound indescribable experience for him.

He hadn't had words to express his gratefulness to her for such a mind boggling experience other than _thank you_ which seemed entirely inadequate. But he had been able to tell from the soft look in her eyes that she had understood.

What they had shared was very personal and intimate and something that no one else would be able to replicate.

Rhaegar had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to replicate what he was building with the gryphon princess with any other woman.

And that part that was somewhat worrying was that he wasn't sure he would want to.

The prince sighed again and crawled out from his tent, pushing the flap aside and putting his shoes on.

Immediately, Ser Arthur who was standing outside the tent jumped to attention. "Are you well your grace?"

Rhaegar chuckled at his friend's attentiveness. "Fine Arthur, I just needed some air."

He glanced around at the makeshift campsite that had been erected and chuckled some more. He was a little surprised the Martells had brought tents of their own as opposed to staying in inns but their four tents were erected in a circle with his next to Ginny's, Elia's next to hers and Oberyn's on the other side of his.

The prince's eyes landed on the red head's tent and he sighed again before striding off to the edge of the cliff so he might look out at the water and the moonlight beyond.

They hadn't strayed away from the cliff throughout their travels during the afternoon when the Martells had come upon them and Rhaegar was glad for it.

He had always liked the ocean and the fact that the consistency of the waves crashing on the sand gave him ample chance to think. His mind was still whirling from the events that had happened that morning and he knew he wasn't going to be able to sleep until he had processed them all.

Now with the moonlight on the water and the silence of the horses only a few feet away on the cliff face as well as the complete silence in the air barring the faint sound of the waves from farther down the cliff the prince took a breath.

Arthur came and stood next to him on the edge of the cliff as the two looked down on the dark waves below and the moon that was like a silver coin high in the sky.

There were no stars in the sky but somehow that didn't diminish the beauty of the night in any way. In fact in some ways it seemed to enhance it. The wind was gentle and the breeze refreshingly cool that it took the heat off the prince's skin from being wrapped in blankets inside of his tent.

He had a feeling far out to sea, a dragon was flying through the air and he smiled slightly at the thought, remembering the incredible few hours he had had with Ginny on Septimus. Then he grimaced, knowing it was a luxury that he would not have as often after he assumed the throne.

And then he had a troubling thought.

 _Suppose Ginevra is not by my side while I do it?_

"You seem troubled your grace?" Ser Arthur observed. "Are you well?"

The prince sighed and ran a hand through his hair that was already mused from sleep. "When did I become that easy to read Arthur?"

The knight chuckled. "I speak from experience your grace. All these long years I have served you could not have come without me knowing a few things about your personality."

"So it is," the prince said chuckling. "I am not troubled, merely…considering a few things."

Arthur nodded and remained silent, obviously waiting to see if Rhaegar would air his troubles without the asking of questions.

A few minutes later the blonde obliged. "I can't help but think that what I experienced this morning was merely a taste of what I could have with princess Ginevra if we do wed."

"If your grace?" the knight asked.

"Yes…if," the prince muttered. "The one word that has the power to tip the scales, end or start wars and upset whole kingdoms. It is a word that presents endless possibilities and a great deal of heartache…and it is only two letters."

"Are you considering what might happen at the end of your time with the princess?" Arthur asked in his abrupt manner, tone lowering exponentially even though it had already been barely a whisper to prevent anyone from hearing them.

"Indeed," Rhaegar said sighing. "Perhaps it is only my own insecurities coming through but I cannot help but wonder what I might do and who I might wed if at the end of this six months she decides to return to Mereen for good."

"But you do not think she will do you?"

"I don't know what to think at this juncture Arthur," Rhaegar replied. "I feel like the two of us have reached a critical point where I am just as lost about what is in her heart as I am about what is in the depths of the ocean."

"If you'll pardon the expression your grace," the Dornish knight said, "my sister did tell me once that a woman's heart is an endless sea of secrets. It is true for all women."

"I know that was meant to be encouraging Arthur," the prince replied. "But right now I am feeling more confused than encouraged."

"Confused about what your grace?"

"I wish," the prince said and then paused. "I wish there was some way of knowing without asking what she intends to do."

"Is there a possibility that she might not know yet herself your grace?" Arthur asked.

"That is more than a possibility Arthur," Rhaegar replied with a wry smile. "And that is what makes me a little anxious."

"Anxious?"

"Aye," the blonde said. "Suppose…Suppose at the end of this six months she does decide to return to Mereen?"

"That is a possibility," the Dornish knight supplied.

"But I am beginning to realize that I do not want it to be," the prince said and then took a deep breath. It felt good to admit that out loud.

The ghost of a smile crossed the knight's face. "You wish for her to stay?"

"I do," the prince said and there was not a doubt in his mind. "I feel secure in saying she is unlike any woman I have ever met and I very much doubt there is any female in Westeros who could match her."

"In what way your grace?"

"In every way Arthur. In personality, in charisma, in political skill, but most importantly in inner beauty and compassion. She has the same nurturing caring spirit that my mother does and I have not met a single woman out of the ladies who come to court who possesses that. They are all obsessed with power and I am simply their means to get there."

The knight nodded but said nothing.

There had been times in the past when he had confided in the knight something and his friend had simply said nothing at all. But Rhaegar knew it was just Arthur's way of processing everything.

"Have you simply tried asking her?" he asked and Rhaegar wanted to roll his eyes at the blatantly obvious question.

"I thought we had already decided that she might not yet know herself," he quipped before sighing again and running a hand through his hair once more. "But what _I_ know is that I don't…I don't think I would be quite the same if she left. I feel that she has made an impression on me that is not going to be dulled with time."

Arthur wanted to smirk but he wisely controlled himself and simply looked at the ground, not saying anything.

Rhaegar was stating what he had seen all along in the last several weeks since the princess had come to King's Landing.

She had had his attention right away with her stunning looks and then kept it right away with her ability to be both coy and honest at the same time. The attention grew to something more with his seeing her care for the children of King's Landing his own brother included and then had turned to admiration and fondness as he saw her in her role as a princess and her agreement to come on this trip with him. This ride upon her dragon had only cemented his view of her as a woman and Arthur had a feeling that the prince was in deeper than he realized.

 _This could either end very well or very badly,_ he thought to himself wishing all the best for his friend. _I wonder if the princess realizes the power she has in this moment._

Arthur had had a strange feeling ever since the prince had laid eyes on Ginevra that this would be one woman who would take hold of his heart and not let go.

Their eyes in the throne room seemed to have been drawn together like magnets and since then they had hardly looked away.

One of the things that had stuck out to Ser Arthur about the visiting princess was that she seemed to burn with a light far brighter than he had ever seen. She was consumed with a driving passion to be someone different than any other stereotypical woman of court…perhaps someone better.

Rhaegar was strangely enough on the same wavelength. He was considering all he had done and learned since Ginevra had come to court and was both surprised and delighted to acknowledge that he had enjoyed himself far more than he thought he would when he had heard of the arrangement of this marriage. Septimus and the incredible feeling the dragon had given him aside, Ginny had showed him a side of his kingdom that he had not thought of before.

Rhaegar had known that there were needs in the city which was why he had often made it a habit to go out into the streets and play his harp to see what money he could make. Sometimes he gave his earnings to a beggar or to those in need even an orphanage or two.

But he had never gone inside of one to see how those children lived. He had never sat down with them and taken them on his lap and talked to them or listened to them before.

He had never looked into their eyes and saw their whole life reflected in those shining orbs. He had never seen their hopes and dreams and what they hoped to accomplish.

He remembered the bright little eyes of Alys and smiled to himself right before grimacing at his own ignorance.

Ginny had demonstrated to him that it wasn't enough to simply give them money, knowing the children and investing in them as well was worthwhile.

He had felt…fresh after she had taken him that one afternoon to the orphanage and he had seen the innocence of the littlest members of the Seven Kingdoms.

 _Such innocence,_ he thought to himself. _And no one notices. Why is that? It shouldn't be like that._

The truth was, he was beginning to realize that he didn't want it to be like that. Those children would be a part of his kingdom one day and he was responsible for not only vast land holdings, lord, politics of the different areas of the realm but also for the souls in his kingdom. He was going to be a leader whether he wanted to be one or not and people would be looking to him to see what it was that he would do.

 _I wish to be different,_ he thought to himself. _I don't want to be like my father and part of me feels as if Ginevra has shown me a different way to do it._

He didn't want to her to leave with their still being so much to be done. The prince was beginning to realize that he wanted her to be his wife, he wanted her to help him rule a kingdom, raise children with her and begin the construction of a dynasty that was built on principles far better than the ones his father believed in.

Rhaegar had a dream…and he wanted Ginevra to be a part of it.

"Perhaps the princess deserves to know some of what you are feeling your grace," Ser Arthur ventured and the prince nodded.

"Perhaps," the blonde said. "But…But something is telling me not yet."

"No?"

"No. Something…Something needs to happen first but I don't know what it is yet. But I suppose I'll know when it does come."

Arthur didn't know what to say to _that_ so he wisely kept silent and let Rhaegar stew in his thoughts.

He would voice them before long.

Ω

 _Three weeks later…_

 _Merlin this has been a lot of traveling,_ Ginny thought to herself.

They had passed over what seemed like miles of desert passing over oasis after oasis and camping in some for the night so that they might rest.

Ginny began to realize why it had been so difficult for the Targaryens to conquer Dorne despite their dragons and armies. No matter how big both grew and how vast, there was always one enemy that they would not be able to overcome…the heat.

An army travelled on its stomach and Ginny knew that the lack of water in Dorne would have presented a challenge for invading. The lack of water throughout the country and the fact that Sunspear was located at the southern tip of the country would have had heavy detriments when the dragons came to try and conquer it.

She was secretly a little impressed that the Dornish had managed to resist the dragon invaders for as long as they had.

It was only through marriage that the Dornish had fully submitted to the Targaryen rule. They and the North had not had to fight but had submitted of their own free will which was also impressive.

 _I believe I will have to see the northern half of this kingdom before all is said and done,_ the red head thought to herself.

But that could wait as the ancestral city of the Rhyonar came into view.

Shining in the midday sun with the azure sky high above and the faint outline of the moon in the sky not far away and the sand all around along with the high sloping dunes,

Ginny felt as if she were seeing Egypt again like she had seen it the summer before she had gone to Hogwarts with her family.

A feeling of nostalgia rose up in her chest and she swallowed it down quickly allowing her eyes to take in the city.

Sunspear was a walled settlement surrounded by three massive winding walls encircling one another.

Elia must have seen the surprised look on Ginny's face for she smiled. "Most have that expression when they see Sunspear for the first time your grace. Do you see the three walls?"

The red head nodded.

"The walls encircle one another and contain miles upon miles of narrow alleys, hidden courts and bazaars. I'm certain there are places that even I haven't seen. The Threefold Gate is where the gates are lined up one behind the other and allows you to bypass the labyrinth of all of these passages and instead allows a straight path on the brick walk to the Old Palace."

"I'm looking forward to seeing it," Ginny said and turned to see that her potential betrothed bore a similar expression on his face. She had a feeling he had never been this far south to see Sunspear either.

"Do you see the towers?" Oberyn asked taking up the telling and pointing into the distance. Both Ginny and Rhaegar nodded.

In particular, the red head noted the odd differences between two of the towers surrounding the palace that seemed to rise like a hovel above the city.

"There is the tall and slender Spear Tower," Oberyn said with a touch of pride in his voice. "And the great domed Tower of the Sun, the two sigils of House Nymeros Martell. The Spear Tower is one hundred and half feet high and houses noble prisoners. However it is not occupied for the moment."

He said these last words with the direction towards Ginny but the red head did nothing but smirk.

"If you are trying to scare me Prince Oberyn then I fear I will have to disappoint you. I have seen far more abhorrent dwellings where political prisoners are held than a tower."

The prince grinned at her over his horse causing Prince Rhaegar to bristle. "I am merely testing your mettle your grace."

"Hmm."

"And in the Tower of the Sun there is the high seats of the Prince of Dorne," Elia broke in, sending her brother a glare and obviously trying to break up the tension. "One has the Martell spear inlaid in gold upon its back and the other bears the blazing Rhoynish sun."

 _I look forward to seeing them,_ Ginny thought to herself.

She was liking Dorne more and more the more she saw of it. She had always loved Egypt when she went to visit it with her family but now this place reminded her of a strange yet all too familiar version of it.

She suddenly missed Sirius.

"Come then," Prince Oberyn said. "There is far more to see than simply the three walls and the two towers."

He spurred his horse onward and Ginny, the prince and the rest of their guard along with the Martell soldiers trailing behind him.

 _This trip to Westeros certainly has turned into a cultural event,_ Ginny thought to herself in amusement. _But I can't say that I dislike it._

She patted the neck of Gavreel who snorted as they rode over the sand towards the towering city that rose over the golden dunes like some great and ancient giant waiting to meet them.

Ginny cast a glance at Rhaegar who was looking grim as they rode toward the gates and frowned. "What is it?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. This trip is simply being extended far longer than I had anticipated and I am worrying about the time…that is all."

Ginny chuckled to herself. "There is nothing to worry about, your mother is protected and there is no harm your father can do to her."

"I know," the prince replied but he still looked worried.

For his sake, Ginny decided that she would be a little more sensitives.

"Would it make you feel better if after we have stayed out the week here that I use my magic to take us back to King's Landing? I can do that in the blink of an eye and it will not take three weeks to get there."

The look of relief on the prince's face was almost palpable but he controlled himself after a second so Ginny doubted anyone had seen it. "Could you?"

"Of course," she said gently.

He then did something unexpected.

The two of them were riding quite close as they approached the gates and closer to the rear of the Martell guard so Prince Oberyn and Princess Elia could ride ahead. In the span of the time they had alone he leaned over quite quickly atop his horse and kissed her very briefly on the cheek. "Thank you."

Ginny froze in the saddle for a moment before she was embarrassed to feel a slight blush coming over her cheeks at the rather unexpected gesture.

She could tell from the prince's low chuckle that he had noticed it as well and she fixed him with a mock glare. "What was that for? Are you trying to charm me my dear prince?"

"Perhaps," he said with a slight smirk. "Is it working?"

Before Ginny had time to reply, they passed through the first set of gates into the city and the noise assaulted her in all of this shouting bright shiny glory.

The smell of cooking meat, and exotic spices as well as fresh fruits assaulted her from the marketplace and she looked around with a smile.

The space between the first wall and the second was several thousand feet wide and long and almost chalk full of people in a marketplace fashion. There was a sea of brightly colored tents where people milled beneath them and purchased wares. Ginny couldn't even see the curve of the space as the city itself was enormous.

She could see houses dotted between the tents as well and the low rumble of hundreds of people brought back a feeling of nostalgia to her.

 _This place reminds me somewhat of Diagon Alley,_ the red head thought to herself. _It seems to have the same amount of organized chaos and discombobulation._

"What is it?" Prince Rhaegar asked, noting the look on her face as she reined her horse in for a moment.

"Nothing," the red head replied. "Just feeling somewhat nostalgic I suppose. In some ways it reminds me of Mereen."

"Is the marketplace there the same size?" Rhaegar asked.

"Bigger," Ginny chuckled. "The markets in Mereen are so large it seems they go from one end of the city to the other and the sounds of shouting, merchants selling wares, the exotic scent of spices and flashes of strange and beautiful clothes go as far as the eye can see…much like here."

"I look forward to seeing it," the prince said quietly.

They rode through the second gate and towards the palace of Sunspear that was located at the heart of the city and the sweltering heat struck Ginny.

She was used to it living in Mereen and all and in fact it was a welcome change from the coolness of King's Landing.

The royals and the Martells carried on through the streets and through the second gates until they reached the palace of the Sandship.

The palace itself was somewhat low to the ground but it was domed and Ginny thought that some of those domes that rested atop the place were made of ancient gold brought long ago by the Rhoynar from over the sea. The palace itself was all white with golden tops and rather impressive in its looks.

 _Interesting,_ she thought to herself as the gates to the place were opened and the royal party along with the Martells were allowed in. A long wide cobble stoned path led up to the main gate where guards in Dornish armor were situated carrying long vicious looking spears.

Oberyn fairly leapt from his horse the moment they were inside the wrought iron gates and cast a lazy smirk back towards Ginny and Rhaegar. "Come your graces. My brother has no doubt heard of our arrival by now and wishes to greet you in person."

He helped his sister down from her horse and Rhaegar dismounted quickly to do the same for Ginny, but she had already gotten down from Gavriel at her own swift pace.

Already attendants bearing the gold and bronze colors of House Martell stepped forward to attend to their horses, all of them bowing low before the prince and Ginny.

"Come your graces," Elia called. "My brother is waiting."

Both the dragon and the gryphon exchanged glances before following the two sun siblings into the sandship palace located between the Spear tower and the Sun tower.

 _I believe this will be my first lesson in diplomacy with a noble of Westeros who is not a king,_ Ginny thought to herself. _I think I'm looking forward to it._

The Martell siblings led the two royals into the long low domed palace that was decorated in themed white marble and bronze and golden sandstone.

Ginny was rather impressed with the age but also the upkeep of the place. The creed followed behind them at a pace and Oberyn led them into a long low room with two thrones atop a dais at the other end.

The red head knew right away that one was the throne of the spear and the other throne of the sun.

However she was more interested in the person sitting upon one of the thrones than the thrones themselves.

She saw the striking resemblance right away to both Elia and Oberyn, in the eyes of this man especially. But it was also obvious that he was a good deal older than them, perhaps ten years at least.

There was a weathered look in his face that could only have been stress from the running of a large territory such as Dorne. However his dark eyes gleamed with an intelligence that Ginny had only ever seen in the eyes of Sirius and Tywin Lannister.

She was instantly on her guard.

Sirius had told her that though many Dornish led a liberal lifestyle, they were some of the shrewdest bastards in the Seven Kingdoms and were not to be underestimated.

And prince Doran seemed to have a patent on that exact thing.

"Prince Rhaegar," the man said calmly, his voice low and calm like the tide coming in at night. "Princess Ginevra. What a pleasure to have you in Sunspear."

Rhaegar seemed to take the lead then. "Thank you Prince Doran and thank you for your hospitality. We had not intended to travel this far south but found your invitation to be impossible to refuse."

Ginny smirked slightly to herself but wiped it from her face when the prince smiled graciously at Rhaegar and then turned to her.

"And Princess Ginevra, what a pleasure to have a foreign monarch with us. I had feared that you would spend all of your time in King's Landing and not see any of the lands outside of it."

Ginny eyed Doran carefully before returning his gracious smile. "Of course not my lord. It is my desire to see all of the Seven Kingdoms."

"And now you have seen the first and the best of them," Doran said with something of an imperious manner but it was obvious to Ginny that he was very proud of his home, a notion that made the red head smile.

"Indeed," she said. "And I am told by my father that this is the best of the Seven Kingdoms when he was a simple merchant. I am curious to see why."

She didn't miss the almost predatory grin on Prince Oberyn's face and wondered at it for a moment before Doran spoke again.

"I hope your curiosity is soon satisfied your grace," he said. "And when you do meet King Sirius again, do give him the regards of House Martell. It is our wish that good relations between our houses continue."

"Of course," Ginny said graciously. "I know that is my father's wish as well. I am sure he will make it a priority to visit Dorne again, especially when matters of state are not so pressing."

"Indeed," Doran replied. "Sunspear and the Water Gardens are open to you upon your stay your graces. A servant will show you to your chambers."

"Thank you my lord," Prince Rhaegar said.

He had been looking increasingly uncomfortable with the way the exchange was going and for the life of her, Ginny didn't understand why.

As soon as they had left the room accompanied by their guard, the red head turned to the dragon. "Are you alright? You looked almost pained while you were in there."

Rhaegar chuckled and it seemed almost dark before he shifted his eyes to the right and to the left. Ginny responded immediately by throwing up some silencing charms and muttering the word, _muffliato_ under her breath to ensure that they would not be overheard.

"I have an…understanding with Prince Doran," he explained calmly and Ginny looked at him warily. "And understanding?"

"Aye, just as there is a sort of understanding with Tywin Lannister. Both Martell and Lannister have daughters of marrying age and I knew from exchanging words with Lord Varys months ago before this marriage was proposed with House Gryffindor that both houses were keen to see their sisters' and daughters with crowns on their heads."

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "I knew of Tywin Lannister's daughter to see his daughter a queen, but not of the Martells."

"That is because their ambition was much more subtle and covert than those of the lions. The ruling princess of Dorne, the mother of princes Doran and Oberyn and Princess

Elia was once a good friend of my mother's. They always made jests about a marriage between Elia and myself and there were a few times when Elia came to the capital. I knew her well and called her friend for a time."

Ginny nodded calmly and wondered carefully to herself whether or not the calm courteous princess that she had seen was really a carefully crafted ruse.

"After the ruling princess died however and her eldest son took the throne of Dorne, all suggestions of a marriage proposal were halted. And since my father has turned down both houses in favor of a match with House Gryffindor, relations between the dragons, lions and suns have been somewhat…strained. Of course my father does not see it this way."

"I see," Ginny said. "You do not think the prince to be one who seeks retribution do you?"

The prince was quick to shake his head. "Of course not. Doran Martell however is a man who is cunning, as cunning as Tywin Lannister and much more subtle about it as well.

Though the Martells cannot count themselves as a Hand of the King, power is ultimately what they seek. And they are not wrong for doing so. Power is what every one of the great houses seeks."

Ginny mused for a moment. "So do you think the princess was being dishonest in her kindness to me? I would like to know if someone I wish to call a friend is two faced."

"No," Rhaegar said. "Elia Martell is many things but vindictive is not one of them. No formal agreements were made or contracts drawn up between my father and her brother so there is nothing to be vindictive about."

"Well good," Ginny replied. "I would hate to be cautious around everyone I may grow to have a friendship with."

"And it would be good if you did," Rhaegar replied as they stopped outside the doors of their rooms. "I would much prefer for you to have Elia Martell for a friend than I would Cersei Lannister."

Ginny laughed. "I believe that makes two of us."

Ω

A few hours later, the red head found herself walking through the Water Gardens with the princess that Rhaegar had called a friend earlier in his life. She kept the prince's words in mind but at the same time decided to make her own judgements on the Martell girl, whether she would be a genuine friend or a silent enemy.

Ginny certainly hoped that it was the former.

"What do you think of Westeros so far?" said princess asked and Ginny blinked before tuning back into the conversation.

"It's very different from Essos," she explained. "While there are power politics and noble families, none of them have sworn banners and vassals like Westeros does. Essos is very much a place where you rise and fall on your own merit. That makes it simplistic enough to unite under one banner, but expansive enough that you can have a good deal of troops under your command. The Second Sons have been disbanded and Braavos now is where the royal Gryffindor fleet is housed. The slave trade has been abolished and schools are now in the process of being built in every major city along the coast, something my mother is heavily involved in. After all, an educated society is an advanced society."

"You won't find that sort of thinking here," Elia said. "In Westeros, hierarchies are how the people in power keep control. If the common folk had access to books and schools and reading materials they might think that this could become a society of equals…and that is the sort of thinking to them at least, that can breed rebellion."

"Do you agree with that sentiment?" Ginny asked.

Elia paused as they passed a particularly elaborate fountain and ran her hand over the surface of the water.

"I think it's a matter of perspective," she said finally. "Dorne is the most liberal of the Seven Kingdoms and as it stands, my niece Arianne who was just born stands to inherit this kingdom when she comes of age. We have no problem with a female in power as that is how the Rhoynar have operated since Nymeria came to these lands. It has always been the eldest child, not the oldest son. But we are the only majority that thinks this way. All the lands north of Dorne are steeped in the ancient tradition of the males inheriting everything."

"Unfortunate isn't it?" Ginny muttered and Elia chuckled.

"In this country you have wardens and their sworn vassals. That is the problem when you have a country that was once seven kingdoms becoming one. Everyone gas ab agenda and everyone wants power. That is what you are in for if you become the queen of this land."

"Don't I know it," Ginny muttered causing Elia to snort in agreement.

"Politics are one thing," the red head explained to her new friend. "But the people of Essos follow my father because he is someone they trust to make the right decisions. King

Sirius is not interested in lessening the education of the weak in favor of the nobility who do not have as much power there as they do here. Places like Myr were not as receptive to the changes but after my father and I demonstrated the benefits of an educated society and how it improved the quality of labour and the advancement made, they thawed out a bit."

"What is an example of the changes you and King Sirius plan to make?" Elia asked.

Ginny paused for a moment, wondering how much she should tell the Dornish girl but then decided that the knowledge of an educated society all over the world wouldn't be a bad thing.

"My father and I are currently in production of a machine known as the printing press," she said and watched Elia frown at the unfamiliar words. "Instead of having a maester or a scribe copy a new manuscript which can take months, the machine my father and I would like to see built would cut the time in half. More books would be printed per year than before and it is both of our wish that those books be distributed to the schools the queen is seeing built."

Elia blinked at the knowledge of what such a machine was capable of. "You would be able to do that?"

"We intend to try."

"You certainly don't do things by half measures do you?" Elia asked with one eyebrow raised.

"That's not really my style," Ginny explained. "An educated society is an advanced one and the edifying the next generation is what promotes a culture that doesn't turn to slavery and prostitution and war as a means of entertainment or coin."

Elia looked at her for a long moment. "Is that what you would want to do here? Because the process of bringing about change to Westeros would be far different than it would to the east. The elements that would make it easy to conquer that country is exactly what it would make it difficult here. You will meet leaders that aren't receptive to this change. Tywin Lannister is one of them. My mother often told me that he was a strong son born to a weak man and that Tytos Lannister nearly succeeded in destroying the Lannister name and fortune before his son built it back up. He is a man for whom power is everything and poverty is nothing. The people of the west fear and respect Casterly Rock because he rules with a rod of iron and crushes those underfoot. But he is not a man that is loved. He will protect his people but not out of love for them, out of a desire to not be seen as weak. That's not what the realm needs."

"And what do you think the realm needs?" Ginny asked.

Elia sighed. "Both of my brothers have told me that I have a tendency to be too soft hearted. They are not like Tywin Lannister in his fondness for power either because I know Doran cares for his people. But power politics are everything in this country and Dorne is only a small territory compared to the rest of Westeros. The realm doesn't need a Tywin Lannister in charge but neither do they need a weak minded fool like Mace Tyrell. I take it you haven't met the Lord of the Reach."

"Not yet."

"You will," Elia laughed. "And when you do, you will see exactly what I mean. The man is obsessed with furthering the Tyrell name and though it is easy to say that his formidable mother runs the Reach behind his back, the man has just enough power to do some damage. He is also a terrible snob and is very easy to control. Someone like that is dangerous in power."

"More dangerous than Aerys?"

"I concede your point," Elia said lowering her tone. "But the fact of the matter is that this realm is going to be far more difficult to change than Essos. The Seven Kingdoms need someone stronger than Mace Tyrell, but gentler than Tywin Lannister. Someone who can command respect from the nobles and love from the people. Even though you have not accepted the prince's proposal of marriage yet, is that something you are prepared to deal with?"

"I've never been one to shy away from a challenge," Ginny replied suddenly remembering the struggle she had had to go through to prove to the Gryffindor Quidditch team that she was Chaser material. Having to live up to the example sent by Angelina Johnson was difficult as she found herself being constantly compared to her.

Granted ruling a country was far different but the same principle of not giving up still applied.

And she knew what it meant not to give up.

It had taken Ginny two years to dig herself out of the depression and guilt she felt for living when her family and friends had died. She knew what it meant to make something of herself and how to be strong.

It would take more than threats and intimidating from a few pompous and self entitled lords who had never known poverty to stop her.

"I think I'm up to it," she said causing Elia to smile.

"Good, you'll need that sort of attitude with a good father like Aerys."

"I haven't even said yes to the proposal yet," Ginny replied raising her eyebrow at the other princess.

"I know," her new friend said. "But you will."

Ginny opened her mouth to reply when all of a sudden, there was a rustling in the bushes and three forms came barreling through the underbrush.

The smallest of them threw herself at Elia and wrapped her arms as high as she could reached around her legs.

"Aunt Elia!" she cried. "Papa said you were back but we couldn't find you."

"I haven't left the Water Gardens Tyene," the Dornish princess replied with a smile. "I've been with Princess Ginevra the whole time."

It was then that Ginny got a good look at the little girl who was now holding on to Elia for dear life. She appeared to be no older than three and had short bouncy curls all over her head. Her eyes looked suspiciously familiar and she was dressed in a plain brown tunic with a small delicate gold chain about her throat.  
There were two little girls behind her, all of whom looked a little older and were dressed in varying shades of beige and bronze. Their hair was done in a different style as well. One of them had her hair pulled back into a tight bun and had fierce dark eyes that were staring at Ginny warily. The other had left her hair long with two long braids on either side of her head.

What they had in common however was that they both seemed to be a bit more cautious than their smaller companion.

Elia had no such qualms however and she hoisted the little girl into her arms without a thought before turning to Ginny. "Your grace, may I introduce my nieces Tyene, Obara and Nymeria Sand? They are Prince Oberyn's daughters. Tyene, Obara, Nymeria, this is Princess Ginevra Gryffindor."

The little girl who had previously borne a smile as bright as the noon day sun suddenly went slack jawed upon seeing Ginny.

"You're the princess with magic from across the sea?" she asked.

Ginny raised an eyebrow at Elia who merely shrugged. "Word of your reputation precedes you your grace."

"I see," Ginny said before turning back to Tyene. "I am."

"And can you really do magic?" the girl called Obara asked looking at Ginny carefully before her sister next to her elbowed her in the ribs.

"Obara don't be rude," Elia chastised her niece.

"She wasn't being rude," Ginny said. "She was just curious."

She turned back to the child and then surprised Elia and both of them by kneeling down in front of the girls. "I can. Would you like to see?"

Nymeria's eyes widened slightly and Obara's expression didn't change but Ginny could tell she was curious. When they both nodded, Ginny smiled.

"Look over there," she said gesturing to a bench further off down the path. On either side of it was a gilded pot with handles on either side of the neck. "Do you see that pot?"

Both girls nodded.

"Keep your eyes on it carefully," Ginny said and deliberately raised her hand slowly in the air.

Tyene who had been watching the whole thing from the arms of Elia gave a dramatic gasp as the pot rose into the air about five feet before Ginny slowly lowered it once more to the ground again.

Obara who had been looking back and forth between both Ginny's hand on the pot blinked several times in surprise.

"Wow," Tyene breathed causing Ginny to chuckle.

"What else can you do?" Nymeria asked causing the red head's grin to widen. "Watch my hand closely this time."

When both Nymeria and Obara had focused on her hand, Ginny whispered the word: _"Lumos."_

Instantly a light appeared in the center of her palm causing the eyes of both girls to widen.

"Well you two?" Elia asked, amusement plain in her tone. "Are you satisfied now?"

"Yes Aunt Elia," Nymeria said.

"Mama said that only the red priests and priestesses across the sea have magic," Tyene piped up and Ginny frowned.

"That is a lie Tyene. Most of their tricks are illusions or the result of magic they have stolen stored in talismans that they keep on their persons."

"They steal magic?" Obara asked.

"Yes," Ginny replied. "When Valyria fell many of its sorcerers like my ancestors and secrets were lost. However like the Targaryens, my family escaped. But we weren't the only ones. Those sorcerers who were lesser dragon lords managed to escape and some were captured and killed by the red priests for their magic. It is why there are so few magic users in Essos. The red priests and priestesses somehow managed to take their magic and transfer it to inanimate objects that they could wear in order to use whenever they wanted."

"You know an awful lot about the religion of R'hllor," Elia said.

Ginny sighed. "Yes well, that's what happens when Asshai is part of our empire and the priests of this insane religion view my father as Azor Ahai or the promised prince."

Elia's face cleared in surprise. "They do?"

"Yes, but this fanaticism has got to come to an end before it becomes even more ridiculous and we have hordes of red priests showing up in Mereen to swear some sort of fealty to my father."

"Yes I can see how that would be annoying."

"Anyway," Ginny went on looking down at Obara and Nymeria. "What do you girls do for fun around here?"

Nymeria and Obara exchanged glances. "Well…sometimes when it gets too hot we go in the water and swim. We were on our way to do that when we saw Aunt Elia."

"That sounds like fun," Ginny said. "I've been traveling for weeks and I love to swim. I do it all the time in Mereen."

"Well then why don't we go down to the shore?" Elia suggested. "I don't know about you your grace but I have had enough of politics and an afternoon of fun is just what I need."

Tyene gave a squeal of joy and Ginny smiled at the sound. "Well then what are we waiting for? Let's go."

She held out her hand to Nymeria who looked at it warily for a second before smiling slightly and taking it.

As the five females hurried off however, they were unaware of the fact that they were being observed from the balcony overlooking the Water Gardens.

Ω

Rhaegar was keeping a careful eye on his betrothed as she hurried off with Princess Elia and her bastard nieces. Well...she wasn't his betrothed yet but that was something to think on later.

At the moment he was sitting on the terrace overlooking the Water Gardens with Prince Doran and Prince Oberyn on either side of him sipping from glasses of wine. The terrace was being guarded by the captain of Doran's guards Areo Hotah and Ser Arthur and Rhaegar was glad for the extra measure of security as what they were discussing was of a delicate nature.

"Princess Ginevra has a gentle disposition your grace," Doran observed and Rhaegar snorted before bringing the glass of wine to his lips. "When she wants to Doran…when she wants to. I have a feeling I am going to have my hands full with her."

"Are you not scheduled to visit her home of Mereen in a moon's turn?" the prince asked.

"Aye," Rhaegar replied. "And I find I am looking forward to it. It will be nice to get out of King's Landing for a while."

"And your plans?" Doran asked lowering his tone.

"Are still intact," Rhaegar said speaking barely above a whisper so that their voices did not carry. "I still fully intend to see them through, its just that with news of this impending betrothal things have hit a bit of a snag."

Doran's eyes narrowed. "Could you explain that your grace?"

Rhaegar sighed. "My father's insistence that I wed so that I may produce an heir to the throne has brought to light several things."

"Which are?"

"The Targaryen line is hanging on by a thread," Rhaegar explained as he stared out over the Water Gardens. "Currently it is just my father myself and Viserys. Now my mother is expecting again but I have no way of knowing whether or not this child will be a boy or a girl and I have no intention of carrying on my father's…traditions."

Strangely enough Doran who had a face that was a difficult to read as Tywin Lannister's looked somewhat pleased. "And so what is the problem."

"As much as I do not share my father's obsession for carrying on our line through incestuous means, having as many offspring to strengthen our lines is important. If Princess

Ginevra does not agree to this proposal of marriage than I am back to square one. I wish to know that our line is secure enough before I…eliminate one part of it."

They had been speaking so softly they were barely moving their lips and in the back of his mind, the prince was convinced that they must have looked like total fools but for the moment he did not care.

"May I be candid your grace?" Doran asked.

"Please."

"Is it the…fertility…of the princess that you are worried about? I merely ask because a woman's ability to carry a child is an important facet when conducting a marriage alliance.

Unfortunately it is the only thing you will be able to learn of after the bedding ceremony."

Rhaegar sighed. "I have no reason to believe that Ginevra…fertility as it were is lacking but as you said I will not know until after a bedding ceremony. But perhaps I am simply being paranoid."

"And if it turns that that she is in fact…unable to carry a child," Doran said skimming over the words as he seemed to wish to make this as painless as possible, "have you a separate plan."

Rhaegar ran a hand through his hair making it even more unruly than it already was and in the heat of Dorne that was saying something. "At the moment any plans I have are loose ends needing knots to be tied. I suppose I have put all my hopes in this one boat."

"Then let us hope that it succeeds and that the bottom does not fall out from under us," Doran said sipping his wine.

"Indeed."

Rhaegar had been planning to supplant his father for a long time but he also knew that such things were delicate and required time and careful planning. He would also need the right lords around him so that when he was ready to make a move, none of them would leap to the defense of his father, who though while mad was still the king.

Rhaegar's love for the man had long since dwindled when he saw what he was capable of and he had no intention of letting Aerys torture his mother and the realm any longer.

The problem was that their line was so small already and at the moment it was just him and his brother to carry it on.

The prince didn't really want to be the one to end his family line just after he saw that his father answer for his crimes.

But family lines aside, if she agreed to this proposal and he managed to get on the good side of King Sirius thus marrying his daughter, it would ensure that he had far more powerful support that just the nobles of his realm. The support of the Gryffindors would be vital and Rhaegar could imagine the look on his father's face when he realized that the marriage he arranged for his son had led to his downfall.

He quelled those thoughts instantly before they got out of control and took a deep draught from his goblet.

"Have you called upon other nobles in this endeavor your grace?" Doran asked and Rhaegar chuckled.

"If you mean have I spoken to Mace Tyrell and Tywin Lannister the answer is no. But I think you know why."

"The Fat Flower does not seem the type to be one who can keep a secret of this magnitude," Oberyn muttered over the top of his wine glass.

"No, but I would not entrust these plans to the knowledge of Tywin Lannister until I have the necessary resources to move," the prince went on. "This must be handled quickly and quietly. I do not wish to cause civil unrest among the realm by removing my father from the throne and yet it _must_ be done. I had been doing a good deal of reading before the princess's visit. There is a long winter coming."

"Indeed?" Doran asked raising an eyebrow.

"Aye, one that could perhaps last a decade."

This time even Oberyn put down his wine glass with one eyebrow raised. "A decade? Are you certain?"

"I'm not certain of anything at this point," Rhaegar sighed. "But I do know that the Starks are always right in their belief that winter is coming. And winter _is_ coming. If my calculations are correct then it will be a bad one and I have no intention of meeting it with the realm in chaos as a result of my father. Unfortunately until the princess accepts my proposal there is nothing I can do but wait."

"Are you of the mind that she will your grace?" Doran asked.

"I'm not sure at this point," Rhaegar said. "Ginevra is a hard person to read at the best of times and there are instances in which her magic makes her somewhat intimidating for the other nobles. I cannot help but think that if I were to take her as a queen, the small folk would love her and the nobles would fear her. I will admit that notion is in itself amusing."

Doran's gaze turned shrewd. "And is the period for her to make a decision drawing to a close?"

"Not yet," the prince replied. "I am to spend another three moons in Mereen with her family on a mission of international diplomacy between the two kings. Ginevra came here as a sign of good faith and now I am to do the same."

Oberyn then muttered something about being glad he was not a ruler and thus free to do what he wanted causing Doran to scowl at him.

"So for lack of a better expression, our hands are tied for the next three moons."

"Indeed," Rhaegar muttered before raising the glass of wine to his lips and downing the rest of it in one go. "I believe I will go in search of Ginevra. Thank you for your time prince Doran."

"Not at all your grace, should you wish to continue this discussion I will be here."

"Thank you."

Doran watched until the dragon prince had left the terrace and descended into the Water Gardens with Ser Arthur Dayne before his expression turned pensive."

"I recognize that look," Oberyn said suddenly as he drained the rest of his wine. "You are doing it again brother."

"And what am I doing?" Doran asked turning to the youngest prince.

"That is the look you always have when you are scheming," Oberyn said with a smirk and Doran raised an eyebrow.

"I never scheme, I merely muse."

"Indeed and what are you _musing_ about this time?"

Doran swirled the wine in his glass around before taking another sip. "Is it true that you knew Sirius Gryffindor before he ever became a king?"

Oberyn's smirk became even wider. "Indeed. We served in the Second Sons for a time together before he left and became a merchant. He was an…interesting man. His magic of course set him apart from the rest of the blood or money hungry fools that were a part of the company."

"I can imagine that such differences appealed to you," Doran said still looking out over the Water Gardens.

Now Oberyn's grin became almost predatory. "What can I say brother? I am a man of many tastes."

"Hmm, and you have not seen the man since he left the Second Sons?"

"No," he made it a habit to travel into the Smoking Sea several times with his merchant crew and I imagined that would be the end of him as no one has ever returned from that place alive. However he was the one that did and it seemed returned with treasures beyond the lot of men."

"And now he is a king," Doran said.

"Yes."

Doran was silent for a long time. "I may have a task for you soon Oberyn. I am intrigued by the prospect of an alliance with House Gryffindor and your past connection to the Gryphon King makes you an ideal candidate to speak with King Sirius about what I have in mind."

"And that is?"

"King Sirius has three sons yes?"

"I believe so."

"And the eldest of them is just slightly older than Arianne is he not?"

It didn't take Oberyn long to catch on and to say that he appeared surprised was an understatement. "You wish to make Arianne a queen? She is already set to rule Dorne when she is older."

"And if our plans come to fruition, than she will assist in ruling a kingdom far greater than Dorne. My grandchildren would sit one the throne of Essos."

"Now you sound like Tywin Lannister," Oberyn scowled. "Was it not his ambition to make his daughter a queen before Princess Ginevra and her father came along?"

"It was," Doran replied. "But the Gryffindors possess something that Tywin Lannister does not…an empire. And I would be lax if I did not say that I would wish for the Martells to miss out on this golden opportunity. Arianne could be the queen of an empire far greater than Westeros and seeing as how you knew King Sirius before he ever enjoyed that title makes you ideal to talk to him."

"You wish for me to be your ambassador?" Oberyn asked.

"I wish for you to achieve an opportunity for this family before someone else comes along and takes it away from us."

"These plans are all very well brother, but is it not the common practice of King Sirius to be very cautious in his dealings with other nobles. This six moon…exchange between Rhaegar Targaryen and Ginevra Gryffindor certainly seems to suggest so."

"Indeed," Doran said. "Which is why we need to propose this first. If it is the desire of the king that Arianne spend some time in the Gryffindor court so that she and his son might become better acquainted than perhaps we should indulge him."

"And what if Arianne does not wish to be a queen when she is older?" Oberyn asked.

"What little girl does not dream of being a queen?" Doran asked. "And from what we have learned of Sirius Gryffindor so far, he is a very liberal man when it comes to the roles of both women and men in power. By the gods has it not been his daughter who has helped him conquer Essos and keep the peace between the major cities? Something tells me that Sirius Gryffindor values the happiness of his children more than power and that is something that makes him effective as a ruler. His compassion for his people ensures that his realm will never suffer from civil unrest or rebellion."

"Never?"

"There are always eventualities, but comparative to the king that we know, it is unlikely."

Oberyn looked as if he didn't know what to think. "And you want me to propose the prospect of this marriage to him when?"

"Soon," Doran said easily. "We simply need to become better acquainted with Princess Ginevra before we make our move. But when I say to move, you move. Understand."

"There are times when you frighten me brother," Oberyn muttered.

And then Doran did something that he hadn't done in a while.

He smiled.

Ω

Over the course of the next week Ginny would say that she greatly enjoyed her time in Sunspear. It reminded her of Mereen a great deal and as much as she was wary of Oberyn and his brother and their agenda of which she was certain they had, spending time with his daughters was a great way to blow off steam.

Tyene was a sweet little girl and very trusting, so innocent of the world and yet so full of joy than it made Ginny smile just to look at her.

Obara was the one who had the most difficult time trusting people but Ginny learned why when Elia privately expressed to her that her mother had been a peasant in Sunspear who had been very poor and who lived with her for a time before coming to the royal court of Sunspear.

Nymeria was the one who was the one with the most confidence thus far. She sometimes spoke for Obara which had given her sister the moniker Nym's shadow.

In that week, Ginny felt as if she got to know the Martells far better than she had before and was slightly more prone to trusting them.

Doran she could tell was a schemer who always had something on his mind and he seemed to be quieter than usual of late which prompted her to think that he was in the process of planning something.

But at the moment, she didn't want to think of politics.

The past week with Rhaegar had been wonderful as had this entire trip. They could simply focus on getting to know one another better and Ginny could admit that her feelings for him were becoming tenderer with each day that passed.

She got to know Sunspear and explored the markets with Rhaegar and the Martell siblings which also allowed her to become closer with Elia as well.

For the first time, Ginny felt as if she didn't have a care in the world.

But that all changed on the eighth days of their stay in the capital of Dorne.

She had been sitting in the private terrace reserved for herself and Rhaegar where they usually broke their fast every morning, the two of them enjoying some leisure time together when all of a sudden she felt a burning sensation in her wrist.

The red head broke off what she was saying and glanced down at her arm and saw that the bracelet she was wearing had grown hot.

"Ginny?" the prince asked. "Is everything alright?"

The red head didn't reply as she was caught by surprise for a moment. She and her father mad multiple means of communication and had set up some portable ones for when she was away. The bracelet was one of them.

She immediately knew he was trying to contact her.

"One moment please," she said to the prince before getting up from her seat and all but running from the room. Thankfully her chambers were not that far away and when she had dashed inside and shut the door behind her she was able to race for the hand mirror that was beside her bed and take it in her hand.

She immediately spoke the charm that would allow her father's face to appear.

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief when Sirius's face came into view. "There you are! Thank goodness, is everything alright?"

Her adoptive father's face in the glass appeared pensive and Ginny could tell right away that he wasn't in Mereen. The background behind him was quivering slightly as if a breeze was pulling at it, prompting her to think that he was in a tent of some kind.

"Not exactly Gin," he replied. "I promised Vellaena that I would inform you before I commenced with my plans but the last few weeks have been insane with preparing the troops and the dragons to march."

"March?" Ginny demanded, her heart beginning to accelerate. "March where? Where are you going?"

Sirius sighed. "A few weeks ago, I received a message from Magister Areo in Kosrak informing me that since you took Khal Barbo's head before coming to Westeros, his son Drogo has sworn revenge and is in the process of amassing an army of forty thousand blood riders in Vaes Dothrak. Gin, they are preparing for war…war against House Gryffindor."

"Merlin save us all," Ginny whispered in horror.

"Indeed," Sirius said appearing grim. "As such Areo and the surrounding cities have implored me to come forward in my full strength and deal with this problem before the cities surrounding the Dothraki Sea are laid waste with Drogo's fury. He will not stop until either one of us is dead. I am marching to Kosrak now and will arrive within two days."

"I will meet you there," Ginny said.

"No!" Sirius all but shouted causing her to look at the mirror's reflection in surprise. "I do not want you involved. We have fought Dothraki before Gin but never such a large problem as this that will require the dragons."

"You are bringing them all?" Ginny asked in shock.

"Only five," Sirius replied. "Septimus is in Westeros with you and I left one behind with your step mother and brothers to guard the city. But the remaining five Faebian, Regulus Orion, Arcturus and Nymph are with me."

"Do you intend to use them all in battle."

"Only if I have to," Sirius replied suddenly looking tired. "But I do not wish to be known for a second field of fire. Instead of four thousand souls burning alive, it would be forty thousand souls."

Ginny swallowed hard. "It would be a massacre."

"Indeed, but we have been patient enough with these barbarians and they don't seem to understand that the Free Cities are not _Free_ any longer. If I must remind them of that…than gods help me I will."

"You will face Drogo in battle."

"I will, and I will attempt to convince him to stand down. But if he does not…then I know what I must do."

"I am coming," Ginny said vehemently. "I took Barbo's head, not you. Drogo's fight is with me."

"And that is why I did not want to tell you what I was doing as I knew you would respond this way," Sirius replied. "Gin, the situation is well in hand. You are safe in Westeros and it is my wish that you remain safe."

"I am not going to lose you Sirius," Ginny ground out between clenched teeth. "I already lost one father and I am _not_ going to lose another. Give me time to inform the prince of my decision and I will meet you in Kosrak. We will face Drogo and his hordes together or not at all."

Sirius was silent for so long that Ginny wondered if he had heard her.

"Very well," he said finally. "Do what you must, but I will not have you face Drogo in pitched battle. I will see you soon."

Ginny bid her adoptive father goodbye and then slowly put the mirror down as if in a trance before sinking down onto her bed.  
She had wondered whether or not her killing Barbo would have ramifications but she had never imagined something like this.

 _I have to go,_ she thought fiercely to herself. _Drogo's war is with me, not Sirius and I won't have my father pay for something I can take responsibility for. It seems I will need to be a ruthless as possible._

For a long time there was silence and then there was a knock on the door.

"Ginny?" called the voice of Rhaegar. "Is everything alright?"

The red head took a deep breath and got up to open the door to see the prince's worried face. "I'm afraid not Rhaegar."

"What is the matter?" the prince asked stepping into the room and Ginny shut the door behind him.

Ginny sighed. "That was my father. House Gryffindor is preparing for war."

Ω

 **So in this chapter, we see the arrival of Rhaegar and Ginny in Sunspear and their connection with the Martells. Like you might know from my profile, the Martells are my favorite family in Westeros so I want Ginny to be close with them as well. Rhaegar and Doran scheming about supplanting Aerys will be dealt with in more detail later but the reason Rhaegar trusts the Martells for their support will be explained in further on. Also in the next chapter we will spend more time with Sirius in Essos in his war against the Dothraki. Ginny will be present for that as well, and perhaps an unexpected guest. Also, Doran's scheming about Arianne perhaps wedding Godric will be further explained in future chapters. Anyway, that's all for now. I hoped you liked the chapter and don't forget to review!**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

It took about twenty minutes to explain the entire situation to Rhaegar, about how she had taken Khal Barbo's head a few moons earlier when he and his band of blood riders had kidnapped children from Kosrak to give to Magister Ilio in Morosh so that he could restart the slave trade. She told him about how she had gone to Kosrak for the purpose of helping its frightened citizens rebuild their wall and had gone after Barbo when she had learned what he had done.

She also told him about how she had taken his head and then given it to the remaining blood riders so that they could take it back to Vaes Dothrak with the message that she and her father were coming for them all.

Finally she capped off by telling Rhaegar about the news that Magister Areo had sent to her father in Mereen and how he had begged him to come forth in his full strength and end this threat before the savages laid waste to the surrounding cities from Drogo's fury. She finished off by telling him that her father was now marching to Kosrak with the full strength of the dragons and the his armies to deal with Drogo once and for all.

By the time she had gotten the entire story straight, the prince was sitting down on the chair by the desk in her chambers in Sunspear and she was pacing about the room with her hands behind her back as she relayed the details.

She wasn't afraid of what was ahead, but she knew as she walked that this couldn't end well. Not for the Dothraki at least. As much as they were savages, she ahd no desire to exterminate an entire people group.

Which was no doubt what she and Sirius would have to do if they couldn't convince Drogo to stand down.

The thought of it made her ill.

Rhaegar was an excellent listener for he sat quietly during her entire story and did not say a word until it was clear that she was finished.

Once the room was once more dominated by silence, he was still for a moment longer before he got up and placed his hands on her shoulders to cease her pacing.

"You blame yourself," he said simply and she blinked at him, surprised at his astuteness to what she was feeling.

"But you shouldn't," he continued on. "You had no way of knowing this would be the response when you took Barbo's head. And you had every right to Ginny. The man was kidnapping children to be sold back into slavery or sold to the pleasure houses, girls and boys who had families and futures in the cities they were taken from. Yes we can always wish we didn't have to spill blood when doing the right thing, but sometimes it is unavoidable."

"I know," she whispered. "But now even more lives are going to be snuffed out because of my actions."

"But not the lives of women and children," he countered. "Only blood riders. And once they are gone, perhaps the women and children that were left behind can be integrated into the new Essosi empire."

"And if they cannot?' Ginny asked somewhat fearfully. "I will not be known for wiping out women and children. "My father and I abolished the slave trade so that no child would ever know life away from its mother's arms until it was ready. I will _not_ be the one who does that to the children of these men, savages though they may be."

"Nor should you," Rhaegar said gently. It was where his height had him at an advantage as they stood next to each other as he was nearly half a head taller than her. "But that is not something you need to think about right now. All you need to focus on is ending this once and for all."

She nodded. "I know…I just wish this had not happened in the first place."

"You said it yourself," the handsome prince noted. "It is simply the world that we live in. We may not like it, but we do have to exist in it and we do have a responsibility to make it better."

"Even if that is by fighting?"

"Especially if that is by fighting."

Ginny sighed and looked up at him. She was a little surprised that his hands had moved from her shoulders to the side of her face. The gesture was somewhat intimate and despite the situation she felt her cheeks heat slightly.

She sighed and then nodded, trying to master herself again. "Alright. I suppose I need to inform Orius and the rest of the guard that I have brought with me that we need to leave right away. I need to inform Prince Doran as well and thank him for his hospitality. I will need to come back some other time in order to make up for this interruption in our visit."

The prince nodded. "Will we be meeting your father on the journey or will we be going to Kosrak in order to meet him there?"

Ginny stopped her out loud thinking abruptly and stared at him like he had grown two heads. "We?"

He nodded at her as he had said the most normal thing in the world. "Yes…we. If you think I intend to remain behind while the woman I may marry goes right into the fray against blood thirsty savages than clearly you do not know me."

Ginny's thoughts had sputtered to a halt with his words and were now struggling to get going again like an engine that had malfunctioned. Finally she seemed to get a hold of herself as she realize she was gaping at the prince very embarrassingly.

"You cannot come with me," she finally was able to choke out.

"And why not?" Rhaegar demanded raising an eyebrow.

This was absurd.

"Do you even need to ask?" Ginny questioned in complete bewilderment. "You are the heir to the throne and if something were to happen to you while you were fighting a war in my country than it would most certainly be the cause of war between House Gryffindor and House Targaryen. And it will be a war we could have prevented."

"A war you would most certainly win with your dragons no doubt."

"That's not funny!" Ginny snapped. "You are asking me to gamble with your life and I will _not_ do it! And if you are asking me to overlook this simple fact than clearly you do not know me."

Rhaegar's eyes narrowed slightly. "I have no intention of sitting here in Sunspear in comfort, pacing and wringing my hands while you go off to fight a war that I can aid you in."

"And how exactly can you aid me?" Ginny shot back, her infamous temper beginning to boil to the surface. "Let's just suggest that you were to come along. No one would be able to know about it because if they did the entire country would be up in arms over House Gryffindor's negligence towards their crown prince. No aid would come from the armies here because they would not know you are in Essos. Suppose you were to come and gods forbid you were to be killed? I will _not_ risk that!"

"And I cannot risk you!" Rhaegar nearly shouted and Ginny reared back in surprise.

There was a moment of silence between the couple where they just stared at each other, unsure of what to say and daring the other to speak first.

"I cannot risk you," Rhaegar said again this time much more quietly and he turned his head to look out the window.

"How would you be risking me?" Ginny asked, taking a few steps forward until she was standing in front of him. "I've fought against them remember?"

"That was a short battle," the prince said softly and she was astonished at the deep look in his eyes, a look she had hardly ever seen a man wear before. The only time she had seen it was on the look of Arthur Weasley when he had looked at her mother.

"This is a war against forty thousand blood riders who have a reputation for being the finest killers alive," the prince continued. "And you are preparing to go in among them. Magic or no, _dragons or no_ that is still a dangerous endeavour and the thought of it…."

He trailed off, causing Ginny to blink again in surprise. _Has he come to care for me then?_

Rhaegar seemed to take a deep breath before stepping up closer to her again and placing his hands on her shoulders. "The thought of it fills me with dread. For some reason I imagine any number of things going wrong and the thought that I was not there to do something about it will be something that will haunt me."

Ginny's eyes narrowed slightly as her eyes looked over every inch of his handsome face. He was all but stating outright that he cared for her and it was not something she could simply overlook or brush off.

"But what do you think you will be able to do for me that I cannot do myself?" she asked somewhat gently. "I don't want any harm to come to you from something I could have done to prevent it. This is also a matter of international importance. If for whatever terrible reason you were to come and die at the hand of a Dothraki blood rider, how do you think your father would react? War would be the result, a war we could have prevented and I will spend the rest of my life with your death haunting me."

 _It will also be the knowledge that I could have been happy and yet I chose to give it all up because I was greedy and wanted a few weeks with you rather than a few weeks away from you._

Rhaegar's expression softened slightly and he seemed to deflate. "I know. I suppose it was simply me being irrational."

Despite herself, the red head chuckled slightly. "Worry has always been an irrational entity."

The prince sighed. "So when will you leave?"

"As soon as possible," the gryphon princess replied. "I will need to inform my guard of the change in plans and then speak with Prince Doran as soon as possible about what is to occur. I don't think it would be entirely polite if I were to just disappear from Sunspear without a word to him after his hospitality towards us."

"Very well."

"And then I will make for Kosrak with all haste," she finished. "Although my father will not be there for another two days and it would be foolish to simply go there and simply do the same thing that I would be doing here….pace."

"Then might I make a suggestion?" the prince asked.

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him. "And that is?"

"I would not leave until tomorrow," Rhaegar said and then held up a hand to stop her when she opened her mouth to interrupt. "Hear me out first. Your father is still two days from Kosrak correct?"

"Yes."

"And he is taking his army which would require a great deal of magic to transport so he is going to have to travel the non-magical way yes?"

"Yes."

"Thus you would merely be spending the time waiting for him pacing about and worrying about what is going to happen. If you stay here for the day at least, perhaps it will give you some measure of relaxation."

Ginny paused and looked at the silvery blonde for a moment. He did have a point. But then she decided to add one of her own.

"There is something else I might be able to do while if I go there," she said slowly and he frowned at her. "What's that?"

Ginny ran a hand through her scarlet curls. "I would be able to draw up battle lines so that the Dothraki don't come too near the city. If they get too close to Kosrak it would result in a situation much like the one I had to take care of a few months ago before I came to Westeros."

Rhaegar's frown deepened. "And how would you draw up battle lines?"

Ginny's smile turned grim. "How else? With magic."

Ω

After she had explained the ways of drawing up such battle lines to him, Rhaegar was intrigued and asked if he might observe.

Seeing as how the Dothraki were still a ways from any of the cities Ginny and Sirius ruled, the red head reluctantly agreed.

Upon the conclusion of this plan, the red head and the prince decided it would be worth mentioning what was going on to prince Doran. He was their host after all and it would be extremely rude if they were to disappear without a trace and not say a word to anyone about it.

However upon hearing that the Gryphon King was about to go to war with the Dothraki, Prince Doran got an odd gleam in his eye and insisted that Prince Oberyn accompany them not only to draw up the battle lines but into the battle itself. Said prince got a rather roguish smile on his face that made Ginny wonder just what sort of understanding there was between the two brothers.

Ginny was quick to put forth the same argument she had used against Rhaegar to Doran, but the lord of Sunspear would not be deterred. Prince Oberyn might be able to offer valuable assistance and intelligence to King Sirius during the war and therefore he insisted that the younger prince accompany them to Kosrak.

After that there weren't any more arguments that Ginny could really give so she had to settle for agreeing to take the Dornish prince along with herself and Rhaegar to Kosrak.

"I don't understand," she fumed as she and Rhaegar left the audience chamber. "Why does Prince Doran seem so keen to have his brother accompany us? He seems to be the sort of man who is well versed in diplomatic double talk."

Rhaegar chuckled. "One of the things I have learned from Prince Doran is that he always has a plan up his sleeve and he is a schemer by nature. Not like Tywin Lannister, though he is on par with my father's Hand. However Doran is loyal to a fault and he won't turn his coat simply if it benefits him. There is too much blood between Martells and Targaryens for that. My ancestors only achieved peace with Dorne through intermarriage after all. In a way our families have been bound since then."

"So why is it that your father didn't choose Elia Martell to be your bride?" Ginny asked curiously.

Rhaegar shrugged. "He might have. But when Lord Varys came to us with news of you, he changed his focus."

"I see."

Just then Rhaegar sighed. "I suppose I should explain what is happening to Arthur. He will not be happy unless he accompanies us to Kosrak."

"He seems to worry far too much these days doesn't he?" Ginny asked remembering the knight's reticence to let the prince near Septimus.

"Arthur takes far too much on his shoulders. Yes he is my shield but at the same time I think he forgets that I have been using a sword practically since birth."

"Very well then, tell him. I need to tell my own guard anyway as they will need to come and Prince Doran will need to keep our departure a secret from the rest of Dorne.

Only prince Doran and Princess Elia may know where we have gone and they must hold their tongues."

"I have no doubt that they will."

"Good, then it seems we have our marching orders."

Ω

Less than twenty four hours later, Ginny Rhaegar Oberyn and their guards bid a hasty farewell to Doran and Elia in the inner room of the palace in Sunspear where they had all met the first time.

Ginny had agreed with Rhaegar's presence on this venture however the moment Sirius arrived in Kosrak and they had met with him and collaborated on their stories and battle lines were drawn up, Ginny would use her magic to send Rhaegar back to Dorne. She had given him a glamour that she had perfected to last three days long. It was especially useful when spying. She didn't want to disillusion him as her being the only one able to see him would become beyond tedious after a time.

Therefore he was to present himself as a servant whom she had taken into her service in Westeros. The glamour had given him dark hair and pale blue eyes, a far cry from his silvery locks and violet eyes but it was better than nothing.

At least this way he could be with her without anyone actually knowing it was him. Goodness knows she could only imagine the outrage if it was discovered that the heir of Westeros had been brought to a warzone.

Ginny could imagine Aerys using the knowledge of the situation to force a marriage between her and Rhaegar sooner. And while she was warming to the idea of being married to the crown prince, she didn't want to make a decision before she was ready.

Time revealed all things and the red head was certain that there were aspects of the silver prince's personality that she had yet to see.

While he had a gentle and caring nature and also seemed to be astute and intelligent she wanted to be without a doubt certain that there existed none of the Targaryen madness in him. She knew that the ancient dragon lords had practiced incest regularly and there had been no signs of madness in them for centuries. However no one could be certain that there hadn't been either.

After all, what was truly known about ancient Valyria other than its dynasty and its civilizations? They had conquered the Ghiscari peoples with their dragons and had been a hub of knowledge and technology but of their daily lives, little was known.

Ginny knew even less about her Gryffindor ancestors who had remained in Essos when Godric had fled. Had they intermarried as well, or had they been content to wed outside of their own lines?

She knew for a fact that centuries before in the world she had come from before the Founders had built Hogwarts that incest had been something that was common and practices in ancient wizarding families. She knew that the Weasleys had practiced it perhaps a thousand years before and though the notion galled her, she accepted it.

So too it seemed had Rhaegar. But she wanted to be certain that his acceptance of his rather sordid father's family had not clouded his own mind as well.

All the same…time would tell.

Perhaps this war and somewhat stressful situation would give her an opportunity to see him in a light that was not the calm and peaceful one of court living that she had been exposed to thus far.

"Please return safely," Elia whispered as she hugged her brother and Ginny's ears picked up on it and she smiled. Though Oberyn rubbed her the wrong way at times, she could appreciate his love for his family and theirs for him.

"Worry not dear sister," the prince said with a rather careless air. "I have fought these barbarians before."

"Well than your knowledge of their nature will be put to good use," Doran said somewhat dryly from his throne and Ginny chuckled.

The Martell siblings were then called over to the throne where it appeared the Lord of Sunspear was giving his younger brother some last minute instructions.

Ginny turned to Rhaegar, unsurprised to see him looking somewhat grim and his beautiful eyes were hard.

She reached for his hand and smiled when he started slightly before looking down at her and offering her a small smile. "You seem troubled."

"I think that is the appropriate emotion to have when one is about to head off to war," he countered quietly and she smiled.

"I am going off to war, you are pretending to be my servant and remaining in Kosrak. No one can know who you are remember?"

"I suppose I should feel flattered at your concern for me," the prince said and Ginny looked deep into his eyes.

"I don't care for anyone easily," she said quietly. "And you are the first in a good long while. So yes, chief in my mind is my desire to keep you safe."

Rhaegar blinked for a moment and she could tell he was surprised at her openness about her feelings for him.

A moment later however his face softened and the deep violet of his eyes colored even more. He reached out his other hand and rested it against the side of her face, thumb moving slowly back and forth against the bone of her cheek. His gesture caused Ginny to lean into his touch slightly and close her eyes.

Usually they were not this public with their affections but this was a dangerous venture regardless of dragons and magic and in this circumstance, Ginny thought it appropriate.

"As it is my desire as well," the prince said in a low voice making the red head want to shiver. "I only wish I were going with you to battle so that I could."

Ginny sighed. "But we cannot do that and you know why. At this tenuous time it would be political suicide to take the crown prince to war when he has a country depending on him."

"I know."

"Good, than let us speak of this no longer. I do not wish to have another argument."

"Nor do I."

Just then the red head heard her name being called and she glanced up from her conversation to see the Lord of Sunspear looking at her. "Yes Prince Doran?"

"Might I have a word?" he asked and she nodded before striding over and inclining her head.

"I am assuming that this campaign should take no longer than a few weeks?" he asked and Ginny rubbed a hand across her jaw.

"I cannot completely say Prince Doran," she said. "Campaigns of war cannot be timed or planned to the finest details but I do hope that this should not take too long. If negotiations for peace with the Dothraki break down then I cannot see my father allowing any of his men to be lost by mindless bloodshed. We will use the dragons…if necessary."

Those last two words echoed ominously in the throne room and Ginny wanted to shudder at them herself. She had no desire to wipe anyone out and still somewhat blamed herself as if she had not taken Barbo's head this might not have happened.

 _Maybe not but the Dothraki respond well to a show of strength and once we show them that they cannot win and perhaps by taking out Drogo in the process we can convince many of the horse lords that there is no need for a senseless war. Perhaps this can all end peacefully._  
Somehow she doubted the entire truth of her thought but she could hope.

The red head blinked and turned back to Doran. "And now I have a question for you my lord."

"Of course your grace."

Ginny glanced at prince Oberyn who was standing to one side of the throne with his arms crossed over his chest. "I wonder how wise it is to send such a high born representative from Dorne as your brother to fight in a war that is the problem of Essos alone."

Doran raised an eyebrow. "Could you explain that your grace?"

Ginny sighed and spread her hands. "A war of this size is sure to draw the attention of those who have connections to Westeros, Lord Varys perhaps. Such knowledge I found doubtful that he would keep to himself and if the King knows that Dorne has participated in a war that none of the rest of Westeros fought in much less knew about wouldn't that make him…paranoid?"

Doran narrowed his eyes. "Paranoid your grace?"

"Yes as if Dorne were aligning itself with the Gryffindor Empire. And if he were to think such things, it is not a far step in his mind that he would think we were trying to overthrow him and respond in a…disturbing manner."

Doran looked as if he were considering that for a moment. "There is that. But I am not sending any Martell soldiers to your lands Princess Ginevra. I could see how Aerys might think that if an army from Dorne were to appear in the Dothraki Sea, but wayward brother is hardly such a force. Oberyn has made it his practice to visit Essos many times and fight in many battles over there, either between the Second Sons and the Dothraki or some other force. It would not be seen as odd that he is there."

Ginny opened her mouth to respond to that when she was interrupted by Orius. "Your grace, the hour is drawing short for us to journey to Kosrak. Mightn't now be the time to depart?"

Ginny closed her eyes for a moment in a slightly long suffering expression before turning to the captain of her guard. "Yes Orius, you're right. We should be going."

She hadn't gotten a chance to say what she really wanted to say to Doran. That the last time she had been seen in Westeros was in Dorne before returning to Essos with

Prince Oberyn Martell to fight a war against the Dothraki might look somewhat suspicious.

But they could argue over semantics all day and get nowhere. And Orius was right. Her adoptive father would be in Kosrak the following day and Ginny wanted several hours before it grew dark to draw up battle lines and keep the Dothraki as far from the city as posible.

Septimus had already flown back to Essos and was no doubt with his other brothers and sisters marching on the road to Kosrak with Sirius.

All that was needed was for the royal party to show up.

Rhaegar fixed her with a calming look as she walked back to join the party. She exhaled sharply before looking at the small party around her, Rhaegar herself all of her guards, Ser Arthur and Prince Oberyn.

 _Nothing's going to happen,_ she thought to herself to stave off a momentary feeling of panic. _Everything is going to be fine._

"Right then," she said looking around at them all. "Is everyone ready?"

There was a moment before the Westerosi citizens who had never traveled via magic before hesitated before nodding.

"Good," the red head said. "Then I would ask that you all place your hands on each others shoulder's and hold on as tight as you can. For the love of our ancestors don't let go or else you may find yourself in the middle of the Narrow Sea. This will be a singularly unpleasant experience for most of you so brace yourselves."

Oberyn's expression hadn't changed from one of lazy confidence as he placed his hand on Arthur's shoulder and the other on Rhaegar's while her guards did the same thing on the other side.

Ginny looked around at each of them carefully before nodding somewhat to herself and gripping the prince's hand.

He tightened his hold on her as well and she was comforted by the gesture before spinning on her heel and the entire party disappeared from the throne room of Sunspear with a crack.

All Elia and Doran were left with was an ominous silence in the wake of all those people disappearing.

His sister appeared somewhat flabbergasted by the powerful display of magic and after a moment of gathering her thoughts turned to her brother.

"She's changed the game hasn't she?"

Doran gave her a grim smile. "It seems Princess Ginevra is shattering everyone's opinion about what they know in this world with a flick of her wrist sister. The amount of power she and her father possess is something the world has never seen before. We must ally with them if Dorne is to survive what is coming."

Elia glanced at her brother in alarm. "What is coming Doran?"

The lord of Sunspear's eyes were fixed on the spot where his brother had been only moments earlier with the princess. He smiled slightly, looking somewhat eerie in the afternoon light.

"My dear sister…power is about to change hands."

Ω

Ginny had forgotten how hot Essos could be.

It had only been two moons since she had been away from it and even the temperature of Dorne could not hope to match the blistering winds and scorching sun of the Dothraki Sea.

When the red head opened her eyes again, she and her small party had landed several hundred feet before the gates of Kosrak. It was midday and the sun was beating down on their heads from on high with a vicious intensity that immediately made Ser Arthur who was still in full armor look uncomfortable.

"Gods," Rhaegar muttered under his breath. "That was….awful."

Ginny cast a look in his direction and gave him a small smile. "I know, I was ill the first time I did it as well. It'll pass in a moment."

Oberyn on the other hand had done rather well and was looking around the sand and blinking at the intense light. "It's been a long time since I have been this far east. I never ventured farther than Mereen the last time I visited this nation."

"Well hopefully this will be a learning experience for us all Oberyn," Rhaegar said with a chuckle before looking towards the walls of Kosrak and squinting against the glare of the sun. "That is our destination then?"

He looked strange with the magically altered dark hair and pale blue eyes. The disguise was almost too good and for a moment she had to remind herself that this was the man she was courting. His facial structure hadn't changed or his build thank goodness but no one would know who he was.

She had also insisted that Ser Arthur's hair color be changed from dark brown to blonde and his eyes from violet to brown. It would make very little sense to have the personal shield of Prince Rhaegar in Essos without the prince and spies might suspect foul play. The knight wasn't as happy about the changes, but in the end he agreed they were necessary as there was no way he was able to talk Rhaegar out of coming on this journey.

"It is," Ginny said gesturing to the walls of Kosrak that she had helped to construct a few moments earlier. "It seems as if the city is already preparing for war.

Through the glaring sunlight, she could see men running about on the walls of the city and the distant shouts both in the common tongue and in High Valyrian.

 _Magister Areo is being proactive,_ the red head thought to herself as she looked about. _Good…very good._

She glanced at her company and jerked her head towards the walls of the city. "I don't think it would be a good idea to continue standing around here in the open. Shall we?"

Naturally Areo was both flabbergasted and delighted at the sudden arrival of the Gryphon Princess and was very gracious to the guests that had been brought as well. He was rather intrigued by the Dornish connection to this war and said to Ginny privately that they would need to speak on Oberyn's appearance later.

"Have the scouts anything to report?" Ginny asked as she and Areo sat in his solarium with glases of wine in their hands.

Oberyn was looking out the window and Rhaegar was standing at the door. Because he was posing as a servant he could not sit down with them as if he were an equal. Ginny had noted that he had had to stop himself from going to the seat next to her when they had entered the room.

"None of the Dothraki yet your grace," Areo said taking a piece of cloth and absently wiping his brow with it. The heat near the Dothraki sea was borderline oppressive and

Ginny quickly waved her hand and cast a cooling charm about the room.

There was a visible reaction from her guards and the rest gathered as they straightened up where they were previously slouched.

"Thank you your grace," Areo said.

Ginny nodded. "And what of my father?"

"A message came from him this morning your grace," the magister said. "He and his army will arrive sometime tomorrow morning."

"You needn't worry about supply food for the army Areo," Ginny said. "Knowing my father as I do, he will have brought enough provisions from Mereen. And if we are lacking any, he or I can always return to Mereen to retrieve more."

"Very good your grace," Areo said.

"If I might venture a question?" Oberyn asked from his place by the window where he had been looking out.

"Yes my lord?" Areo asked turning to him.

"Why is there the need for such…diplomacy princess? Drogo is out there in the Dothraki Sea. Would it not be better to find him and end this right now?"

"I agree with you Oberyn and I'd like nothing better," Ginny replied. "However my magic does not allow me to find someone unless I know where they are first. The Dothraki Sea is enormous and vast. I have no idea where Drogo and his hordes are."

"Scouts say they have moved from Vaes Dothrak your grace," Areo said. "The Dothraki know this territory better than anyone and I am afraid that we may not be able to track them."

Ginny pursed her lips, a sudden idea coming to her and she glanced at Rhaegar from across the room who's fake blue eyes were watching her carefully.

"I have summoned Septimus back from across the Narrow Sea," she said slowly. "He should be here within a few hours. Perhaps it would be worth it when he arrives to go for a brief scouting flight across the waste. If we can pinpoint where the Dothraki are before they act, we may be able to take out Drogo before he ever sees this city."

"Are you certain your grace?" Areo asked.

"As certain as I can be magister," Ginny replied. "Allow me to first contact my father and tell him my plan and then I will return to you."

"Very good your grace."

"Did his message say where they were?"

Areo reached for a piece of parchment on his desk and passed it over to her. "See for yourself your grace."

Ginny eyed him for a moment before taking the message and unfolding it.

Her eyes scanned the page briefly.

 _Magister, please be advised that the army of King Sirius Gryffindor is a few leagues from the city of Hesh. The King has employed the use of his dragon Faebian to lead the army._

It was a brief message but one that made Ginny smile. It was obvious one of the king's minor stewards had written it from their camp before setting out as the brush strokes were jerky and light, feathered across the page as if the wings of a bird had made them.

"Good," she said setting the letter aside. "We'll greet him on the morrow than. It'll be a sight to see all seven of the Gryffindor dragons flying about the city of Kosrak."

"I feel as if the bards will tell stories of this time for years to come your grace," Areo replied and Ginny snorted.

"That's what I fear magister. We are about to embark on a great campaign, but one that is no less terrible. We and they would do well to remember that."

Ω

Later that night after the residents of Kosrak had gone to sleep, Ginny and Rhaegar walked silently through the city before apparating outside of the walls where they might meet Septimus and begin drawing up battle lines.

Ginny noticed that Rhaegar kept touching his newly darkened locks as if to make sure they were the same color.

"It's a little disconcerting isn't it?" she asked and he chuckled deep in his throat. "More than a little I am afraid. It's odd having people not address me as a prince. Refreshing but odd."

"Refreshing?" Ginny asked looking up at him.

"Aye, it is a little exhausting being constantly sought after and rarely having any privacy," the prince imparted to her. There was no evidence of arrogance in his tone that he was in such high demand and in fact Ginny could understand as she rarely got her own privacy as a princess as well.

"I can relate," she surprised. "But don't worry, you will be back in Sunspear before long and back to your normal appearance."

Rhaegar's face turned grim. "I am still not pleased with this."

"I know," Ginny replied, "but my father will be here tomorrow and he is more than equipped to look after me and the rest of our army. This war will be over before we know it and the Dothraki hordes will be scattered. Although I am not looking forward to slaughtering forty thousand blood riders."

"Look at it this way," Rhaegar said as they walked silently over the sands. "The Dothraki are threatening the people that you and King Sirius rule. They are not part of your empire and as such their rights are forfeit when it comes to raiding those cities that you do rule. You need to protect your own Ginny and if that means you need to get blood on hands well then….so be it."

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him. "That is surprisingly pragmatic of you."

Rhaegar shrugged. "What can I say? Your wisdom is rubbing off on me. We also have some experience in dealing with this in Westeros."

"You do?"

"Aye, though the wildlings live far north of the Wall, there have been some who have managed to get south over the last few decades and have proven a burden to the Night's Watch to deal with. Though they do not partake so much in the raping aspect, they have been known to raid and pillage villages, murdering its residents."

Ginny sighed. "There are times when I wonder how this way of life came about and just how long it has been since someone said enough was enough."

"My guess is never."

Ginny didn't answer them as the two of them walked into the desert hand in hand. The area was cool as most deserts often were after sundown but there was a bright moon over head and the sky was full of stars that stuck out like diamonds in a navy blue collar that wrapped around the world.

"Hard to believe that the world can be this quiet and this beautiful when we are about to engage in a war," Ginny murmured.

"I don't find it hard to believe at all," Rhaegar replied.

Ginny frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well I have a theory," the crown prince began. "Perhaps its somewhat naïve and idealistic but I don't think it is entirely wrong either."

"What theory is that?" Ginny asked.

"I am of the mind that the universe balances itself out when it comes to violence," the prince replied. "We may be facing a war but that war is balanced out by the peace we are experiencing here and now."

 _Something like the yin and yang I remember Hermione telling me about a long time ago. She said that there were ancient peoples who believed and some still do that there must always be a balance of light and dark, chaos and peace otherwise there would be no sense of reality in the universe._

"That's an interesting idea," Ginny mused. "In a way it can provide a sense of peace because even though there are things beyond your control, we can perhaps by into the idea that the world knows what its doing."

"Precisely," Rhaegar replied. "Yes it does sound somewhat foolish, but there are times when I have to believe it."

"I don't think its foolish," Ginny said. "I like a man who is optimistic despite his circumstances."

"I feel as if I've been optimistic a lot lately," Rhaegar replied. "You seem to have that sort of effect on me."

To her surprise, Ginny felt the heat rise to her cheeks and glanced down at the sand dunes, glad the darkness hid her face somewhat.

"I also seem to have made you more eloquent," she said with a smile and Rhaegar chuckled deep in his throat.

They continued walking for at least another hour before Ginny decided that they had come far enough.

"We are a few kilometres from Kosrak now," Ginny imparted to Rhaegar. "They may come this far but no further."

Before the prince had a chance to say anything, Ginny muttered out a spell her father had told her he used when he wished to create a barrier.

A moment later, a long stream of red light burst forth from her hand like a whip and shot through the air across the sand disappearing out of sight into the distant dunes.

"Incredible," Rhaegar whispered.

Ginny smirked and then turned to the left where she repeated the same thing with the same results. When this was complete, she bound the two red magical ropes together and placed them down on the ground where their color and the objects themselves immediately vanished.

"And now we have a barrier," she said dusting her hands off and getting up to face Rhaegar. "The Dothraki will not be able to come beyond this point."

"Impressive," the prince said.

"Trust me Rhaegar," Ginny muttered as she took his hand to apparate back to Kosrak. "When my father arrives in the city tomorrow with all six of the family dragons, you will haven't seen anything yet."

Ω

Ginny was right.

The following morning after she and Oberyn and Rhaegar still in his disguise had broken their fast with Magister Areo, a servant ran into the room out of breath and managed to gasp out that the guards on the wall had spotted the Gryphon Banners of King Sirius on the horizon as well as the six dragons that were flying over head along with five gryphons and a sizeable host was marching on the ground towards to city.

 _Sirius is probably riding atop Faebian,_ Ginny thought to herself with a smirk.

From there, a whirlwind of activity commenced in which Magister Areo ordered the city gates to be opened and rooms to be prepared for the king and his party while he and

Ginny along with Oberyn and her guards as well as Rhaegar in disguise went down to the gates of the city to greet the king.

The moment their small party arrived on the threshold there was a thunderous roar from overhead and Ginny felt a grin stretch across her face.

A shadow passed over the sun and she looked up to see all six dragons flying over the city, their great wings creating a wind that could be felt from this distance.

Among them she saw the pearl white scales and diamond wings of Septimus. He had met up with her father on the journey from Mereen as it would be faster for him to simply fly back and her to apparate her party to Essos.

Along with him were the rest of his brothers and sister from the eggs they had hatched. She saw the emerald green scales of Regulus that were tipped with silver and the deep blue wings of Orion. Then there was the silver horns and head of Arcturus and the deep fuchsia tones of Nymph.

All of the dragons had been named after members of Ginny and Sirius' family and it was interesting how their colors corresponded to the people they had known in their previous life.

Regulus, Sirius' younger brother had been a Slytherin to his core so it was fitting that his dragon namesake was green and silver. Sirius' father Orion had been named for a specific constellation in the night's sky so it was fitting that the dragon that had been named for him was a deep blue color. Nymphadora, Sirius's cousin had been known for her pink hair and the dragon called Nymph was a deep fuchsia color. Arcturus was the silver color that Sirius' grandfather's hair had been for most of his life.

And then of course there was Faebian, her father's bronze dragon whom Ginny could see was leading the pack of dragons.

The seventh dragon that had remained behind in Mereen was called Ignatius the ruby red beast that was the youngest of the dragons and had hatched only several months ago.

It was still a sight to behold however, six dragons twice the amount that Aegon had had when he had conquered Westeros were now flying over Kosrak and ever resident in the city had their heads craned so far back that Ginny was certain they were all going to break their necks.

Ginny glanced at Rhaegar and smirked slightly herself when she saw the look of slack jawed awe on his face.

It was a sight that few had seen before and hopefully they would not have to see again as there would never be another reason for almost all of the Gryffindor dragons to be out in full force.

Diving in and out of the wind between the dragons were five of the gryphon that Sirius and Ginny had hatched during their conquest of Essos. They were far faster than the dragons in flight as they were much smaller, only about the size of a full grown horse, but their large white wings flapping powerfully in the breeze were majestic to behold and Ginny noticed with a smirk that for once Oberyn who was standing next to her looked surprised.

Ginny's eyes narrowed in on her father who was sitting atop Faebian and wearing the gryphon crown he had only used for war.

The crown itself was a golden band with two wings upon it that fanned back against his head and framed his face coming back to the tips of the wings came to a point past his head. It appeared somewhat like an elegant but functional helm

Faebian opened his enormous jaws and let loose an earth shattering roar that had many of the citizens of Kosrak covering their ears and staring above them in flight.

Faebian made a dive for the ground just outside of the walls and landed with a crash that could be felt inside the city. The other dragons landed just behind him and the gryphons behind them and the army of Sirius Gryffindor came to a halt.

The king slid off the back of his dragon and stepped lightly onto the ground. He was dressed in dark robes trimmed with gold and had the sword of Godric Gryffindor, the original great sword belted to his waist. It gleamed a peculiar golden color in the light making it appear as it an arc of sunlight had been taken from the sky.

He observed the small party standing on the threshold of the city and nodded at Magister Areo before smiling at Ginny. She could see one of his eyebrows rise upon seeing

Oberyn but the expression vanished in a second.

The moment he approached Magister Areo went to one knee along with the rest of the party excluding Ginny.

"Ginevra," the king replied as she strode up to her and folded her into his arms. "It is good to see you again."

Ginny grinned at him. "Hello father, I told you I would be here."

"That you did," the king said giving her a severe look "and I see that you have brought company as well. Hello Oberyn."

The third Martell sibling grinned as he and Sirius clasped hands. "Hello King Sirius. It has been a long time."

"It has," Sirius said with a chuckle. "Magister Areo, it is good to see you again as well."

"Your grace," Areo said getting to his feet from where he had knelt a moment earlier. We are honored to receive you. Kosrak is yours."

"Thank you Areo," Sirius said before turning back to look at his halted army. "But I fear we will not be remaining here for long. My scouts have sent word to me as we marched that the Dothraki hordes have crossed the half way mark of the Dothraki sea. I intend to meet them in battle tomorrow."

To his credit Areo didn't even flinch, it was almost as if he had been expecting this. "Very well your grace. Perhaps we should adjourn to my solarium in the council building to discuss your plans."

"I think that is a very good idea," Ginny put in.

She cast the disguised Rhaegar a severe look and then glanced at her adoptive father. She would need to tell him about the appearance of Rhaegar here soon enough.

Ω

Later that evening after the council of war had adjourned, Ginny was standing in her own chambers with her father and prince Rhaegar whom Sirius now knew the dark haired young man beside his daughter.

Needless to say Sirius had not been thrilled to see Rhaegar there.

"You have a plan for your return Rhaegar do you not?" he asked the young man. Ginny had removed the glamour hiding his natural appearance from the rest of the people in Kosrak so her father could see he was there. She would put it back on when they left. It would vanish the moment Rhaegar reappeared in Sunspear.

"I do your grace," Rhaegar replied. "And please do not be upset with Princess Ginevra for bringing me for this brief period."

"I am not," Sirius said. "However I do feel as if the both of you have taken a gamble coming here. Drogo is out for blood and he is desperate for revenge. I have been doing some deep thinking since Areo sent word to me in Mereen. Drogo must be a madman to come here with his hordes knowing the power we possess so that only means he knows he is going to die in the pursuit of revenge as are his blood riders and he does not care. Perhaps that is something we may be able to use to our advantage."

"How so?" Ginny asked.

"If Drogo is as foolish to go after impossible revenge as it seems he is than I find it hard to believe that every single one of his men is as well. Perhaps some of them can be persuaded to bend the knee."

"Are you certain of that your grace?" Rhaegar asked. "We have no Dothraki hordes in Westeros however we do have the northern wildlings that live beyond the wall as I was telling princess Ginevra. The lords of the north have had a difficult problem quelling the uprisings that they present and no matter how many times they beat them back."

"Are you suggesting we wipe them all out Rhaegar?" Sirius asked very well, seriously.

Rhaegar sighed and ran a hand through the silver hair that was becoming increasingly unruly. "You may have to your grace."

"Aye," Sirius said turning to look out the window of the balcony that looked out over Kosrak. "Aye that is my fear as well."

Ω

 **After an almost two month stint I am back. I realize this chapter is pretty much filler, but the big battle will occur in the next one. Things will begin heating up from here on out. Ginny's time in Westeros is drawing to a closer and after that will come Rhaegar's three months in Mereen which will be covered in just a few chapters. I don't want to draw this out for too much longer before we whip into high gear. Anyway, I hope you guys like the chapter and don't forget to review!**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Just before dawn Ginny slowly roused herself from her bed and looked down at the floor where Rhaegar was sleeping.

She had conjured up a bed for him as there was no way Areo would set aside a room for a servant and it might raise suspicions if she asked.

Odd as it was, she had cast a spell of disillusionment upon him and when the entire council hall was asleep, the two of them had sat up late into the night talking about the war, about Dorne, about the future and everything in between.

The more she talked to him, the more Ginny could see the two of them together which was a very heartwarming thing.

Rhaegar didn't make her feel stifled with his thoughts and opinions and even though he didn't like the idea of being in Dorne while she was fighting a war, he understood why it was necessary and respected her reasons.

 _Its strange that in this entire backward society where women have very little say in their own life, I would find the one man who treats me like I matter, like I mean something and that I am not some sort of trophy to put on a wall as a conquest that's been won like his father would have done. He respects me, and my goals and ideals. I wonder how many other men in Westeros would do that and not simply suck up to Sirius and tell me what I wish to hear. As much as I love Mum and would want children of my own someday I don't want to be turned into a baby making machine like she was. Mind you, she was very good at it and managed our house well like it was her own personal kingdom. I need to do the same here…but differently. And I need a partner that's going to help me do it._

She glanced down at Rhaegar who was still sleeping soundly in the bed across the room and smiled at him.

His stunning face was even more exquisite when he was asleep as there was no stress in his eyes, no tenseness in his shoulders and arms and no worry in his tone.

She wondered for a moment what it must have been like growing up in the keep with Aerys for a father and then decided that she was better off not knowing.

 _Well…if I marry Rhaegar, hopefully he will not be a problem for too much longer._

The red head glanced out the window and noted that the sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon.

It didn't take half the time it took to mobilize their army as it would the bannermen of any other realm in Westeros as magic was often used to make everyone ready faster.

Ginny could see some of the Gryffindor dragons flying far out in the desert, their great wings stirring up the sand and their distant cries to one another echoing across the dunes toward her.

Slowly she got out of bed and walked across the room in her long nightgown to the balcony with overlooked the Dothraki Sea.

 _We are about to do something that the world has never seen before…and likely never will again. Except for one, six of the Gryffindor dragons as well as the gryphons will be unleashed on Drogo's blood riders today. Twice the amount of dragons Aegon had when he conquered Westeros and more fire than the world has ever seen. More than I ever wanted to use…._

She sighed and shook her head. Ah well it would do no good now going around and around in the land of _if only._ If she hadn't stopped Barbo, Ilio would still be alive to continue his despicable trade practices and continue the slave trade on a black market level.

Despite the blood that was going to come of this, she didn't regret taking Barbo's head and she would do it again if she had to.

Ginny leaned against the balcony for a moment which afforded her a view of the outside of the wall surrounding the city.

While some of the dragons were out flying over the desert and she could see their enormous wings casting shaded colors from the sun shining through them down upon the sand. They were silent as well, as if knowing that they were about to go to war and completing some form of quiet introspection before embarking on their task.

Ginny glanced down at the sand below and saw the gryphons her father had brought from the capital all kneeling down at the gates to the city as if standing guard.

Several members of the Creed were standing beside them looking calm and relaxed. Ginny had wanted to insist that everyone get as much sleep as possible before heading off to war as no doubt the Dothraki would be well rested but there were some who insisted upon staying awake.

For her part, Ginny thought this was ludicrous. This city was wrapped in enough wards to survive a nuclear blast so there was no way a group of half-naked horsemen were going to get at it.

But Sirius had told her to leave it be for now and she had grudgingly agreed.

She glanced back into the room at the still sleeping Rhaegar and gave a small sigh. _I'll need to send him back to Dorne soon. Maybe its better to do it now while he's sleeping. Goodbyes were always hard for me._

She had made up her mind to do that when all of a sudden the prince demonstrated his impeccable timing and stirred, turning towards her and opening his violet eyes.

They focused on her on the balcony and he smiled a little before sitting up and pushing the cover back.

"You're awake," he said. "I was hoping to rise before you."

Ginny gave him a gentle smile, one that she was sure was full of affection. Against her wariness, she couldn't stop the flutter in her chest every time she looked at him or knew she was going to see him.

Maybe she was beginning to fall for him.

"I haven't been awake for very long," she replied. "It's not yet dawn but I know within an hour my father will be ready to move."

"So soon?" he asked as he got out of the bed and walked over to her.

She nodded. "Better to surprise them than they surprise us. Unfortunately we are meeting them in their home territory so we need the element of surprise. My father once told me that only a fool would meet the Dothraki in an open field. If we're using normal military tactics, the best thing to do would be to lure them to a canyon or some sort of narrow pass where they can be picked off one by one but seeing as how the nearest canyon and walls and mountains are the Bone Mountains on the eastern side of the Sea, there is no time."

"That may be true," Rhaegar replied. "But I don't think an open field is going to serve the Dothraki well when they are about to go against six dragons."

"Indeed," Ginny replied.

"Are you alright?" Rhaegar asked looking at her in concern. "Your countenance does not often darken but it has been so frequently since you told me you were going to war."

Ginny sighed, she was glad that he felt comfortable enough with her to know when something was wrong and to point it out.

"I just can't help the feeling that there was something I could have done to prevent this from happening. Barbo was the catalyst for it all and I would have taken his head before I would have allowed him to take children as slaves. But was there something I could have done long before this to prevent Barbo from ever taking the children in the first place? Perhaps there was a way that the Dothraki could have been brought into our empire and a war would not have been necessary."

Rhaegar felt himself soften as he looked down at her. What he liked most about Ginevra was though she was fearless, brave and loyal, doing what needed to be done when it needed to be done, she also had a very soft heart and killing was something that did not come easy to her.

 _It shouldn't come easy to anyone,_ he thought grimly. _But in this world we live in there is far too much blood to be shed and people become all too used to it I'm afraid. Or else they revel in the power they think it gives them._

"Don't be so hard on yourself," he said gently reaching for her hand. "You could not have known something like this was going to happen. Didn't you tell me once that doing what is right is rarely the easy thing? I know killing hardly seems like something that is right, but what is right is keeping the people you've sworn to protect from harm."

Ginny was quiet and he could tell she was listening to him. "You have a good heart Ginevra Gryffindor, you may cover it up and try to deny it but it is the thing that guides you in all you do. Don't forget that."

Finally the stunning red head turned to face him and her sea blue eyes appeared almost watery as if she were holding back tears.

And then to Rhaegar's surprise, she stood on her toes and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. Her lips were soft against his skin and he was so surprised at the contact that he stiffened up like a board.

None but his mother had ever been that close to him and the fact that this was Ginevra, the woman he was coming to care for made the situation all the more new and organic. He could feel her warm breath against his cheek and felt goose bumps rise on his skin.

"You're a good mad Rhaegar Targaryen," she whispered and he felt himself warm at her praise.

As she moved back from him however, Rhaegar had a moment of bravery and gently took hold of her arms to keep her from moving any further.

She looked at him with a questioning frown but he ignored it for a moment. He had wanted to do this ever since she had taken him to the orphanage in King's Landing to show him the true root and needs of his kingdom.

And it was that moment of bravery that allowed the dragon prince to lean down and press a gentle kiss to Ginevra's lips.

She stiffened for a moment and Rhaegar worried that he had overstepped his bounds. A second later however, she relaxed and he could feel the gentle press of her lips against his, kissing him back.

Deciding to try for some boldness, the prince snaked an arm around her waist pulling her closer to his chest. He was further rewarded when he felt her wrap her arms around his neck. Her body fit wonderfully against his and Rhaegar knew then that she was perfect in her arms.

And it startled him…but he didn't want her to leave them. For a moment he was fearful that she wouldn't come back to him and wanted to demand again to accompany her so he could see for himself that she would be alright.

A second thought followed this up however, a much calmer Rhaegar telling his conscience that she was far more capable of protecting herself than he knew. And whatever weaknesses that were shown, Septimus would take care of.

He knew that Ginny would not have worry about at thing with the ivory dragon at her side.

Somewhat reluctantly before the kiss became more heated than either of them was ready for, Rhaegar pulled back and was somewhat pleased to see that Ginny's ivory cheeks were flushed and her eyes somewhat glazed.

"I didn't expect that," she said in a low voice and it sent a thrill through Rhaegar, though he controlled it.

"Neither did I," he said softly. "But it was something I had wanted to do for a long time. And before you head off to war it seemed like as good a time as any."

Ginny smiled up at him, the color in her cheeks fading slightly. "You're quite the romantic aren't you Rhaegar?"

He raised an eyebrow at her but felt his lips quirk upwards. "Or perhaps I am simply a man who likes to take chances and knows what he wants."

"Fair enough," she replied. "But you needn't worry. That won't be the last time that happens."

He raised the second eyebrow this time feeling oddly pleased. "Very well then princess. Please see to it that it won't. Because I look forward to doing it again."

He was further pleased when her cheeks turned a vibrant shade of red again and she glanced down at her feet.

Though he knew Ginevra was incredibly resilient, the fact that she was somewhat shy about matters of the heart was enormously endearing to him.

Ginny glanced out balcony and noted the position of the sun before turning back to him. "I should send you back to Dorne now."

He sighed. "Aye, I suppose its time."

She nodded. "I will see you again before the sun goes down. With any luck, this conflict will be over before noon."

He nodded and then closed her eyes as he felt her magic take hold, gritting his teeth against the spinning sensation and the intense vertigo before the room faded to black.

When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the Water Gardens and back to his regular appearance.

Arthur had appeared next to him and Ginny had claimed he would. A portkey had been placed upon his sworn shield that would activate the moment Rhaegar was sent back to Westeros.

His friend took a deep breath and bent over slightly at the waist, gripping Dawn as he did so and trying to get the air back into his lungs.

"I don't think I am going to become used to that you grace," he said looking up at the prince who had recovered from his vertigo by now.

Rhaegar chuckled and looked around at the fountains and the sunshine and feeling the warm breeze on his face. "You'll get used to it Arthur. I think we all will."

And then he left to go in search of Prince Doran as he knew the man would be expecting him.

They had plans to make.

Ω

A few hours later, Ginny found herself clad in full armor and riding atop Septimus as the army marched on the sands below her and Sirius rode on the back of Faebian beside her.

The rest of the Gryffindor dragons were fanned out on either side of them in a sort of V formation as they flew.

Kosrak had faded from view about an hour ago and the sand had closed behind it in the shimmering waves of heat. Every so often a hot wind blew and the thick braid that

Ginny had tied her hair in was lifted off her shoulders.

The sun was shining brightly in an azure sky and the heat was even more unbearable in full armor at this distance high in the air, however Ginny had placed cooling charms on herself, her father and the rest of their army so that they would be cool and ready for the fight to come.

And it didn't seem as if the heat would last for too long as in the last half an hour as Ginny had looked behind her, it appeared as if there were dark grey clouds blowing up from the south, dense and filled with moisture. She could see flashes in it and knew with grim certainty that a storm was coming.

How oddly appropriate.

Her adoptive father had noticed it as well and the feral grin on his face was a sight to behold. A wind was blowing from behind them which appeared to be cooling down the army even more along with the charm

Hopefully it would continue until they were ready to meet the Dothraki forces as the heat rendered one tired and unable to perform any action at their regular capacity.

Sirius had a look of grim intent on his face as he looked north. His dark eyes were practically spitting fire and the red head had a feeling that he was eager to get this done and see peace once more in his realm.

"How did he take it when you sent him back?" he asked quietly and Ginny was glad she had cast the silencing charm around them and then augmented her voice and his so they were the only ones who could hear each other.

"He seemed disappointed," Ginny said knowing they were talking about Rhaegar. "But he knew and accepted the reasons he had to return to Dorne. If anyone in Westeros were to find out we took him into battle, the repercussions would be severe."

"He did want to stay though?"

Ginny sighed and realized with a start that she missed him. "He did."

Sirius gave her a long and searching look that she recognized he had used on Harry many times before their dramatic drop into Essos before giving her a sharp nod and turning back to the north again.

"He is a good man," he said quietly. "Some part of me who is not your guardian thinks he will do well for you. Do you think you could be happy with him?"

Ginny felt her cheeks burn but was determined to give a truthful answer. "Yes…Yes I do."

Sirius nodded again, but Ginny got the feeling he was somewhat pleased. "Good."

A long silence reigned between the pair before Ginny spoke again. She quickly brushed thoughts of Rhaegar aside and tried to focus on what they would be fighting for today.

It would be an end to tyranny, an end to anarchy and an end to one part of savagery that had been roaming the land of Essos for merlin knew how long.

But it still bothered her that they had to kill people in order to do it.

"On a scale of one to ten, how badly to you think this will end?" she asked.

Sirius frowned at her over the side of Faebian. "What do you mean?"

Ginny swallowed hard. "I mean, do you think we will have to wipe out every member of the horde that is coming at us, or could some of them be persuaded to bend the knee?"

"That's difficult to say," Sirius replied. "The blood riders sworn to Drogo will no doubt side with him and we know that _he_ will fight to the death…but the others that he recruited may be persuaded. It's all speculation at this moment."

Ginny muttered a curse under her breath. "I know. And that's what worries me. I have no doubt that we and our armies and our dragons will come out of this with minimal losses but I am concerned about what this is going to look like."

Sirius raised an eyebrow at her and then sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I respect Dumbledore very much Ginny, but you should know one thing. He was completely clueless about how to fight a war. When Voldemort first returned he should have confronted the problem straight away rather than keeping people in the dark like Harry and telling him and all of us to lie low. To work in secret was something that Voldemort wanted so he could amass as much support as possible and then take over the Ministry courtesy of Lucius Malfoy who had his hand stuck so far up Fudge's arse that it was enough to manipulate his brain. Dumbledore played right into Voldemort's hands by pretending that there was nothing wrong and demanding that everyone lay low which forced Harry to begin acting on his own terms."

Ginny grimaced at the picture that created about Fudge but then smirked slightly at the authenticity of the statement. Fudge had always been a puppet and he had served his purpose for Riddle until he had been ready to reveal himself and then he had been tossed aside.

"So now we are acting on our own terms?" Ginny asked and her adoptive father nodded. "We are. And sometimes the best way to deal a problem is to face it head on."

The red head nodded and fell silent as she looked out over the desert. It appeared that they were entering a sort of sandy valley with a higher elevation on the northern side.

It was extremely wide across as if an enormous hand had swiped a trench through the land and went as far as they eye could see.

"We should prepare to land soon and draw up battle lines," the red head said. "When Dothraki arrive we need to make it so that they can go no further."

"Agreed," Sirius replied before tapping the side of his throat and muttering _sonorous_ under his breath.

"Halt!" he called down in his magically augmented voice. "We go no further. Draw up battle lines!"

There were the faint cries of the soldiers as they called back affirmations and Faebian tilted sharply to the right, while Septimus went to the left.

Far below them, Ginny could see their vast army spread out like ants upon the desert sand. It stretched back as far as the eye could see and Ginny nodded grimly. She wasn't worried about their chances, she they could obliterate the Dothraki with their dragons alone.

But she had to wonder about the mental stability of Drogo for knowing all of this, for knowing the might of the Gryffindor Empire and still leading his blood riders into their battle anyway.

 _With that sort of denial I don't think that there is any way we are going to convince him to bend the knee. We're not going to get out of this without a fight._

"Assemble the pikes!" she shouted down after magically enhancing her own voice.

There were shouts of "Aye you grace!" yelled back at her and she swooped back down the line of their army, inspecting the troops that had broken ranks and were in the process of setting up.

Magically levitating a few of the sharpened wooden poles that had been cut from wood in Mereen, Ginny rose into the air with them and banished them to land several hundred leagues away so they were scattered all across the trench.

Most of them were embedded at an almost forty five degree angle so they were pointing exactly at what would come over the top of the sandy hill to the north.

The wind was picking up and she felt a cooling sensation come upon her as the last of the poles they had brought with them were erected.

No tents would be erected as they weren't sure when the Dothraki were going to arrive.

The army had just been brought as a formality after all, it was primarily going to be the dragons who did the work.

There was a rumble over head and she could feel the cool breeze blowing faster now. There were flashes of lightning farther back in the distance and Ginny smiled grimly.

It was if even the weather knew that there was going to be a war and was preparing for it. The wind blew her hair back and she closed her eyes more a second, breathing it in…the peace, the calm before the storm.

Soon the hair would be filled the sound of shouts and roars and metal clashing against metal and the intense heat of fire as the dragons bathed the ground in flames.

Screams would join them too. There would be the rumble of forty thousand horses upon the sand, bearing down towards them like the noise of ancient drums.

Ginny opened her eyes and Septimus veered back towards the front of the army.

It was time to confer with Sirius and Orius about battle lines. Below her she could already see the pikes being placed in the sand with would no doubt impale some of the blood riders before the day was out.

But they weren't the main plan.

The idea of facing the Dothraki in an open field would have been insanity for some as they were known as the finest killers alive and when their horses had room to run and prepare and raise their blades they were almost unstoppable.

Except when faced with six dragons.

Ginny took a deep breath as Septimus dove down toward the ground, wings pulled back to stream the air that was racing past them. The mad rush of wind made her eyes tear and so she shut them so as to maintain concentration.

All the colors of the world seemed to blur when Septimus vaulted into a dive and became like a water color painting with the way detail was non-existent.

They landed with a thunderous crash and Ginny vaulted off of the white dragons back to land with a thump in the sand.

Sirius looked up from where he was conferring with Orius and Prince Oberyn and gave her a small smile as she approached. "How do we look?"

"Everything is going according to plan," Ginny replied. "The Unsullied are fanning out and are placing the pikes in the sand. I don't think we're going to need them, as they are just a formality. But they might serve a purpose before the day is out."

"Personally I think bringing them here was a waste of time," Oberyn pointed out. "Your dragons are going to do most of the work and the army might not even be touched."

"You'll pardon me for being as prepared as possible Oberyn," Sirius muttered as he looked out over his army. "If you recall being over prepared was one of the many reasons that we won every battle we engaged in when we were both in the Second Sons."

"That was a long time ago."

"Aye, but the same principle holds true," Sirius said before turning to his second in command. "Orius. I think it would help morale if you and the Creed were to mount the gryphons and ride them into battle."

Ginny blinked and her eyebrows shot to her forehead in surprise at her father's decision. It wasn't as if she didn't agree with it but it was surprising all the same.

Orius looked surprised too….well as surprised as Ginny had ever seen him since his face was half covered all the time and he spoke through a piece of cloth covering his mouth.

"Are you certain your grace?" he asked. "To ride one of these creatures is a wondrous honor."

"Aye, it is," Sirius replied. "And the captain of my guard and the elite warriors under his command shall be the ones to do it. The gryphons are far faster than any steeds the Dothraki may possess and they will do their part in cutting through the ranks the dragons fire does not get to. Ride them well."

"I will."

"Good," Sirius replied and Orius stamped away to relay the king's orders to the rest of the Creed.

The gryphons had also landed and were calmly surveying the area and the battle lines that were being drawn up. They looked golden against the sand and their majestic white eagle's wings shone like polished pearls.

"How much time do you think we have?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know," Sirius replied. "Everything is a bit up in the air."

"I could fly ahead," Ginny said. "Do my part to route them before they come close."

"Thank you Ginny, but no," her adoptive father said firmly. "If you do that, they will scatter and then assemble again at another time. I would rather deal with this once and for all. They will either bend the knee…or they will all die. I like it not, but Drogo has left me no other choice."

"It's strange that they have defied you for this long," Oberyn said thoughtfully as the three of them looked out across the desert sands at the battle they were going to face.

"The Dothraki respect power and you certainly have enough of it. Even before Barbo lost his head they should have kneeled to the greater authority in this land."

"Who knows how the minds of these barbarians works?" Sirius muttered. "Just when one aspect of their personality becomes clear, the rest arrives and muddles the part you thought you understood."

"Agreed," Ginny replied. "How do you want to plan for their arrival?"

"The Dothraki lack any sort of military strategy," Oberyn suggested. "When they come over atop the hill, they will attempt to charge you. Their simplicity will no doubt be their undoing."

"Indeed," Sirius said. "But I am not a slaughterer without a cause. When they do arrive Ginny I have a task for you."

"What is it father?" the red head asked.

"The saying goes that only an insane fool would meet the Dothraki in an open field as once they charge, they cannot be stopped by normal means. But we are not going to use normal means. Once they get close enough, Septimus is to breathe a line of fire between them and us. It will be the thing to make the pause. No doubt some idiots will ride head long into it, but that is their affair, not mine."

Ginny nodded. "And what will you do once they have stopped?"

"I will attempt one last means of negotiation," Sirius said. "I have no wish to butcher an entire population because of the revenge of one man. Hopefully some of them may be persuaded to join our side."

"And if they don't?" the red head asked.

"Then we send their souls screaming to the seven hells," Sirius said in a voice that sent shivers down the back of Ginny's spine.

Without another word, the gryphon king marched away back to the Unsullied, barking orders in High Valyrian as he went.

Ginny and Oberyn were left alone to watch him as he strode away, both lost in their own thoughts.

"He always was a serious man," Oberyn said thoughtfully. "I never could get him to lighten up. Everything was life or death with him."

Ginny nodded. "My father has always been a man who weighs things heavily. He never got over the death of his father and mother and brother. It's weighed on him for the rest of his life even though it was decades ago."

For once, Oberyn looked sober. "Aye. And even though it is gone now there was a viciousness to him in the Second Sons that few of the men there had. He was emotionless and did whatever the commanders asked of him no matter how appalling or questionable."

"He told me a bit about it," Ginny said quietly. "He said he was a bit of a shell of a man during that time. He only seemed to come out of it when he forcibly made himself find a purpose other than killing people."

"Unfortunately there are very few people who will be able to go through this life without getting some blood on their hands and some will shed more than most," Oberyn said somewhat sagely. "It appears King Sirius only shed blood when he has to."

"And I am hoping that that is what people remember was the difference between us and these savages," Ginny muttered.

There was a sudden rumble overhead and she looked to the skies to see that the clouds had gone a dark grey and the wind had picked up. There were faint flashes of lighting overhead and she knew rain was coming.

Far ahead of them the dunes of sand seemed to rise almost as if they were like a hill which could be ridden down from.

The wind was blowing from the north and Ginny found it oddly poetic. The air had cooled down remarkably and the clouds were a dark grey overhead and seemed to promise rain.

Many things had been promised lately.

Ginny turned to Oberyn and found that he too was looking at the heavens with an odd smile on his face. "Are you sure you want to do this Prince Oberyn?"

The dark haired man turned to her. "Do what?"

"To fight in this war," Ginny said. "You don't owe House Gryffindor any allegiance."

"No," the man replied. "But I do owe a debt to your father. And like the Lannisters, we Martells do not forget when something is owed from us."

 _That_ was new.

"And what debt is that if I may ask?" Ginny inquired curiously.

Oberyn gave her a wry smile. "Many years ago when we were still in the Second Sons, he saved my life in one of the battles that we fought. It was how we became acquainted. It's also something I have never forgotten or been able to repay in all the time I have known him. So I and my brother thought that this was a good place to start."

Ginny narrowed her eyes slightly. Prince Doran had some motive in this, she was sure of it. No doubt the prince wished to gain some favor with Sirius by displaying their allegiance to House Gryffindor early on.

 _He must be very certain that I will say yes to the prince's proposal to be acting so boldly_ , the red head thought to herself. _But I think there is also something that he wants as well. Tywin Lannister was scheming to make his daughter a queen for many years before I came along and Prince Doran's daughter and Godric are the same age….suppose it is a marriage proposal that he wants?_

It would be something she would have to remember as time went on.

And just then from across the sands…there came the sound of a deep, loud and ancient horn. It bellowed over the dunes with a sharp ear shattering quality which struck

Ginny as the noise of only one thing.

It was a herald of war.

All of a sudden it was as if a whirlwind of activity came upon the assembled army. Ranks were formed between the enormously long sharpened pikes that were stuck up between the sand and every member of the Unsullied pulled their helmets down before their faces so only their eyes were seen. Their spears were clasped at their sides and their round war shields were held in front of them.

The members of the Creed that had been appointed to ride the gryphons immediately mounted them as the creatures bent their front legs forward to allow for an easier ascent.

Sirius strode back over to Oberyn and Ginny, his shoulder length black curls and dark eyes blowing in the breeze. He wore a crown upon his brow, but it was the shape of the wings of a gryphon fanned back against the sides of his head and keeping his hair from his face. He was wearing sunsteel armor just as Ginny was, but with his dark hair and tanned features, it looked particularly striking on him.

At his side was the original great sword of Godric Gryffindor. Ginny herself was carrying the sword of the Godric Gryffindor she had known about in Hogwarts at her waist which a silver color as opposed to her father's golden colored one.

Both of them stood with their hands on the hilts of the blades and took quick sharp looks around.

"You will be fighting on foot then Oberyn?" the king asked and his old friend gave him a lazy smile. "Seeing as how all the gryphons are taken my old friend, I think it is necessary. I have never been much for a horse."

"Then you're going to need some sort of shield when you are being ridden down by an insane mad man astride a frothing horse," Ginny replied and before either man could stop her, she reached out and laid a hand on Oberyn's shoulder, muttering a quick spell.

There was a brief flash of light which seemed to absorb into Oberyn's armor and the prince looked slightly surprised.

"It is a mild shield charm," she explained when she saw his questioning look. "It won't shield you from a fatal blow so avoid those at all costs, but it should do for now."

Oberyn blinked at her before a curiously grateful smile came over his face. "Thank you your grace. I will not forget it."

"See that you don't," Sirius rumbled. "I have no desire to return to Dorne and inform Prince Doran that his younger brother died in some idiotic blaze of glory."

Oberyn threw his head back and laughed. "How little you know me Sirius. I may be reckless but that doesn't mean I have lost all reason in a fight."

"Hmm, perhaps times have changed since we were in the Second Sons."

Just then, the horn sounded again but this time it was closer and Sirius nodded to them. "I would say may the gods go with us but seeing as how I don't believe in them, that statement will be fruitless. Instead I will just say to trust in your swords and in our magic and the dragons. They will be the things to see us through. Good luck."

Sirius clapped Oberyn on the shoulder and then embraced Ginny quickly but fervently which she sincerely returned.

She knew in the back of her mind that nothing was going to happen to them, but war was a risky business. There would always be eventualities that couldn't be prepared for.

The red head exchanged one last look with Sirius before striding over to Septimus and hurriedly climbing onto his back.

There was a tremendous sound like sails on an enormous ship being unfurled as Septimus opened his wings and raised them above his head.

"Fly now," Ginny whispered and the white dragon reared back on its heels and launched himself into the ear, enormous talons gouging the sand as he let go of the earth.

As they rose into the sky, Ginny was afforded a glimpse of the horde that was still several hundred leagues away and thundering upon their horses to meet them.

They were so numerous they appeared like ants upon the ground and Ginny couldn't make out distinguishable features.

 _If we were using regular forces, I would be worried about our chances,_ she thought to herself. _Today the sand is going to turn red with blood…and I don't think there's going to be anything I can do to stop it._

Septimus spread his wings wide to balance upon the air currents and Ginny was allowed a moment of quiet introspection before the horde would arrive at the top of the hill.

She thought briefly about Rhaegar and what he would do if he were here with her. She suddenly missed his presence. He always had some word of quiet advice and was so calm that she knew she would be able to go to him with whatever problems that she had.

They complimented each other that way. Despite the fact that she was a princess, Ginny had a temper and could be remarkably high strung at the wrong times.

Her brief time with Rhaegar in the capital told her that he had a calm presence born through a lifetime of putting up with his insane father.

That would be necessary in a marriage.

He could also be fiercely protective over those he cared about as was demonstrated with her and his mother and brother.

 _I wonder what the people in Westeros are going to think of this war when they hear about it,_ Ginny thought to herself. _Hopefully it will be a reminder to Aerys of what happens when people cross me and Sirius._

The horn was blown again and her head snapped around to face north again. The horses was closer this time and she could hear the thundering of their hooves upon the sand.

They were close….so very close now.

She glanced down at the ground below her and saw Sirius standing there with a drawn sword and Faebian at his side. She wondered why he hadn't chosen to mount the dragon and hoped this wasn't some sort of foolish plan of his to engage with Drogo directly.

She knew he could handle himself but was fighting the barbarian directly when one well placed spell could end his life a good idea?

The red head sighed as Septimus levelled out and simple used his great wings to hover on the breeze. Her adoptive father was a king, if he knew what he was doing than she would just have to trust him.

She turned her attention back to the horde of incoming riders who were thundering toward the dune that would lead down into the sandy valley in which she and her father had positioned their army.

Ginny had no idea what Drogo looked like so she could not make him out in the crowd of blood riders, but it hardly mattered….before long all of them would be riding their horses no more.

She scanned her eyes right and left and noted that their army had moved with amazing dexterity all across the valley but not so they had spread themselves too thin. The Creed had mounted the gryphons and were brandishing their long curved swords.

A small grim smile forced its way to her lips as she imagined the picture that they were creating.

It would be a day of signs and portents that was for damn sure.

"Shall we announce our presence?" she muttered to Septimus, leaning forward on his neck and the dragon seemed to rumble in agreement.

The next instant, he opened his enormous maw and emitted a roar that seemed to shake the very sky. Ginny was half tempted to cover her ears from the sound even though she was used to it by now.

As if in response, Faebian who was on the ground below, along with the other four dragons added their voices to Septimus…roaring their defiance to the heavens and shaking the sand that they were standing on.

A flash of light caught her eye and Ginny looked up to the heavens to see that the lighting was now fully over head. The light it emitted had reflected off of the enormous golden colored great sword that Sirius had withdrawn.

His knees were bent slightly and he was holding his sword in front of him, gripping it with both hands.

The combined roaring of all six of the Gryffindor dragons was enough to drown out the thunder of the horses hooves that by now had almost reached the top of the hill to lead down into the valley.

Ginny drew the sword Godric Gryffindor, thinking to herself that she was really going to need to think of a name for it if she was going to keep it for the rest of her life here.

Visenya Targaryen had had a Valyrian steel sword called Dark Sister, but Ginny didn't want a title as ostentatious as that.

 _Ah well, all in good time._

The horses of the Dothraki had just crested the top of the hill and began their descent when Ginny began counting down.

 _Three…  
_

 _Two….  
_

 _One….._

She leaned forward on the back of Septimus. "Now."

With another ear shattering roar, the pearl colored dragon clenched his wings to his sides and went into an extremely steep dive that had Ginny leaning forward so she was almost flat on his back.

The wind screamed in her ears but she forced herself to keep her eyes open as they fell towards the ground.

The Dothraki were thundering towards them and were only several hundred yards away when Ginny and Septimus came level with them.

"Now," the red head whispered.

What would come next would be remembered in the next few centuries as the Rain of Fire. People in cities surrounding the Dothraki Sea, would talk about the near mile of scorched earth that ran in a nearly straight line for hundreds upon hundreds of yards before it came to an abrupt end.

Others would say it was reminiscent of what the Ancient Valyrians had done to the Ghiscari Empire astride their dragons.

But still others would say that it was the legacy of House Gryffindor to defy their enemies without pause.

Septimus opened his jaws and bathed the earth in a torrent of pearl flames that were so hot, Ginny felt the skin on the side of her face ripple with the heat and she had to turn her face away.

There were screams as a fiery line was burned into the earth and continued for what seemed like minutes before the ivory dragon pulled up into the sky again.

Lighting flashed and thunder boomed overhead and as Septimus wheeled about in the sky, Ginny was able to see the damage she had wrought.

Even she hadn't been prepared for it.

The line seemed to go for what looked like a mile and a wall of flames war burning about five feet high creating a barrier between the Dothraki and the Gryffindor army.

It took her a second to realize why it was so big and so enduring as the other five dragons had added their fire to it as well.

Several of the blood riders and their horses had galloped head long into it and had died screaming in the flames. The rest of them had somehow managed to pull up even though those who had been riding first into the valley were burnt to a crisp.

For the first time that day, there was complete and utter silence across the valley.

And then she heard Sirius magically enhanced voice boom out across the desert.

 **"You will go no further!"**

Somehow the words spoken in the rough Dothraki tone made his voice seem even deeper and rougher sounding. They boomed with the force of a king with a legendary army behind him.

Slowly the wall of fire began to die down and Ginny was able to see the faces of the Dothraki looking around at each other. Some of them had the audacity to look amused despite all they had seen.

But those faces were few and far between.

Sirius chose that moment to continue speaking. **"Many of you have come here out of some misguided loyalty to a man who has let revenge speak for common sense! I speak to you now. Lay down your weapons. I have no desire to extinguish an entire race because of the sins of one man. You may become a part of the new civilization I have created…or you may die in your old one!"**

There was another long silence from amongst the Dothraki ranks. Some of them were looking about at each other and others appeared stalwart in their refusal.

And then came the sound of laughter.

It was coming from a man who appeared to be several lines deep. His chest was painted with intricate designs and his eyes were dark with fury. His long braid reached almost to his waist indicating that he had never been defeated and he was forcing his way through the crowd of blood riders to the front atop his horse.

Ginny knew right away that this was Drogo.

Now that she could see his face, there was a resemblance to Barbo and his face held the same malice that his father's had.

She wondered why he hadn't been at the front with his men. Had they expected something like the line of fire that Septimus had painted in the sand to happen….or was it cowardice?

She doubted it was the latter.

 **"Finally I meet the fabled Sirius Gryffindor!"** The tall khal said, his eyes fixed on Sirius who was several hundred yards away. His voice was faint compared to the king's but it still held power. **"I must say I am disappointed. You who hide behind your armies and your dragons and your gryphons would pose no threat in a fight between the two of us!"**

He glanced at the heavens. **"And where is your whore of a daughter? The one who took my father's head?! When we are finished here I will take her back to Vaes Dothrak!"**

 _Is the man delusional?_ Ginny wondered to herself even as she bristled.

Sirius had begun to smile. **"Your father was taking children and women to sell as slaves, I practice I abolished when I took the crown of this country. And my daughter took his head for it. It is a pity I was not there myself…I would have done more than simple decapitation."**

He glanced at the rest of the Dothraki army. **"Have the rest of you nothing to say. Do not throw away your lives so recklessly because of one man's desire for revenge."  
**

 **"You presume much Gryffindor!"** the khal roared back. **"The Dothraki will never bow to a foreign king who must have a woman fight his battles for him! Where is the woman! I would like to see the whore who took my father's head!"  
**

 **"Here you whoreson!"** Ginny shouted. She had quickly augmented her own voice and it came out as an echoing call across the desert. Most of the Dothraki looked up to see her sitting astride the white dragon, crimson hair blowing behind her.

Drogo smile….a very intent smile. **"I see the Gryffindor women do not lack for beauty."  
**

He paused to point a finger at her and she could see the promise in his dark eyes. **"You will be the only one I will not kill. No, what I will do to you will be far…far worse!"  
**

 **"If you live long enough to do it!"** Ginny taunted.

Drogo let out a growl. **"What are we waiting for then. We will taste blood!"  
**

 **"Very well then,"** Sirius replied and there was a grim intent in his voice. **"Then you will all perish."  
**

He turned to the army then and shouted out something in High Valyrian. His words were caught by the wind and Ginny didn't hear all of them but she could tell he was signalling their forces to attack.

There was a collective roar as both forces surged forward.

Septimus opened his enormous jaws again and roared again, once more echoed by his brothers and sisters all across the valley.

And then the heavens opened and began to pelt their silvery drops down on those gathered below.

 _So it begins._

Septimus dove forward and immediately began to bathe the horse lords in a torrent of flames that were white hot, causing many to disappear in a blaze of ivory fire.

Both armies had charged forward and had met in the center of the valley with a tremendous crash.

The Dothraki would pose a problem for the Unsullied because of the fact that they were mounted and their forces were not. That meant that Ginny would need to take our as many of them as possible along with the rest of the dragons.

When she glanced down from flying low atop the riders, cutting a line of fire through them and sending hexes every which way that she could, she could see that Sirius had charged forward with the sword of the Valyrian Godric Gryffindor on foot.

He had sent a curse at Drogo's horse which was charging to meet him that cut the legs out from under the beast causing it to go sprawling head long into the sand and sending Drogo flying from its back.

Now he would meet Sirius on equal footing.

The rain was coming down in sheets upon the earth, lashing strands of Ginny's hair into her face and making it difficult for her to see.

With a curse, she cast a sticking charm upon her head so her hair would stay in one place.

The rest of the dragons had taken to the air so that they might breathe as much fire down as possible upon the blood riders below.

The Creed were using the speed of the gryphons to cut a bloody path through the ranks of the Dothraki with a truly brutal speed. The scattered limbs of men and horses were strewn in the wake of the ancient beasts.

Orius was swinging his sword at everything within reach and his cloak was splattered with blood and gore.

His sword was slick with blood and the feathers on the wings of a gryphon were tipped with crimson blood as well.

Ginny turned her attention back to the screaming hordes below as Septimus rained fire down upon their heads.

The red head looked around for Prince Oberyn and saw him in his Dornish armor, swinging his spear and blade in a peculiar combination that she had never seen before. He had taken several Dothraki out by keeping low enough to cut the legs out from under their horses which was impressive for the speed with which they were coming at him.

He was currently engaged in battle with two of them at once and holding his own well despite their brutality. He moved with a truly blistering speed that impressed Ginny immensely.

And then she saw something that he hadn't yet.

One of the Dothraki who had been riding southward had taken the opportunity to kill some of the Unsullied causing Ginny's blood to boil, had wheeled back to Oberyn and had now leapt into a crouch atop the back of his horse, cursed sword aiming for Oberyn's head.

Ginny felt herself freeze for a split second as she knew the Dornish prince hadn't seen him and then did something rather reckless and stupid.

As Septimus made his last pass towards the ground and only going several feet over it, Ginny twisted around on the dragons back and _stood up,_ running along the top of his scaled form until she reached the juncture where the back and the tail met.

And then as the white dragon made to move higher into the air again, his tail lowered for a split second allowing Ginny to slide down it and lunge for the blood rider going for Oberyn.

He never saw her coming.

The curse was already on Ginny's lips before she really thought about it, her blade raised.

She wasn't sure which hit the savage first…her curse or her blade but one way or another, he was knocked from his horse, his head rolling away from his shoulders like a grotesque bowling ball.

Ginny managed to hang onto the side of the horse which was still thundering toward the Dornish prince, still engaged in battle with two blood riders.

 _"Imperio!"_ she hissed in its ear and then shouted for it to veer to the right.

It did so, missing Oberyn by mere inches and then Ginny jerked the creature back to the left.

Just as Oberyn stabbed the Dothraki on the right that he had left that he had been battling back and forth with in the gut, Ginny grabbed the horses mane and swept her leg out.

Her armored foot nailed the final blood rider right in the chest and she felt the cavity cave in as she sent him flying through the air where he landed a few yards away, as limp as a rag doll…his head rolled to one side.

Immediately Ginny let go of the horse and dove for the ground, sending a cushioning charm at it so the breath would not be knocked out from her lungs when she landed.

It was well planned too for when she hit the earth, the red head was able to use her forward momentum to tuck into a roll and come up standing.

She landed back on her feet and turned back to Oberyn who blinked with surprise at the sudden interruption.

She could only imagine what it must have looked like to him.

A moment later however a feral grin covered his face. "Not bad princess…not bad at all."

"You looked like you needed a little help," the red head replied with her own smirk and Oberyn scoffed. "I had it handled."

"Right….before or after you were about to be impaled?"

The answer of the Dornish prince came in the form of him pulling one of the small knives from his belt and sending it singing over her shoulder into the throat of a Dothraki who was riding towards them.

"And now we're both guilty of being distracted," he said with a smirk.

"Point taken," Ginny conceded. "Shall we continue?"

His smile was all the answer that she needed.

The rest of the battle passed in a bit of a blue for Ginny now that she was back on the ground. The dragons continued flying overhead and burning everything in their path to a crisp.

The screams of the blood riders had faded into the back ground as the lighting flashed and the thunder roared overhead. The rain was stinging any bare skin with the force with which it came down and the sand was becoming slick with water and blood and gore beneath their feet.

Ginny found herself back to back with Oberyn for much of the fight, the two of them trading blows with those who came at them and trading their positions when it was necessary.

Once or twice, she saw Sirius in the thick of things. To her amazement, he was still fighting Drogo who was bleeding from numerous placed on his body.

His endurance impressed Ginny but she wondered why on earth her adoptive father didn't appear to be using magic but didn't have much time to think about it.

When you were using every muscle to the full, there wasn't time to think about a lot of things other than the next movement.

She sent a cutting curse flying at one of the Dothraki that had come close and was just turning to face her next foe when something she hadn't expected happened.

There was a tremendous roar somewhere to the west of them, but it wasn't a roar of defiance or made in the heat of battle….it was a roar of pain.

Ginny's head shot up and so did Oberyn's in time to see one of their dragons, the green one that Sirius had named after his brother take a spear wound to one of his wings and begin to careen towards the earth.

Her breath caught in her throat for a moment at the thought of one of her dragons being injured by these savages and rage poured like hot poison through her blood.

The green dragon landed with a crash to the earth several hundred yards away and unleashed a torrent of flames at those Dothraki who had ridden towards him, sensing weakness.

Oberyn muttered a startled curse under his breath and Ginny certainly agreed.

She looked around wildly for Septimus, the rain lashing into her eyes and causing them to sting and was rewarded when she heard his enraged cry overhead.

He was bearing down towards her and Oberyn, winged fanned out and white flames scorching the earth around them, obliterating any foes they might have faced.

It was then that Ginny got her second reckless idea of the day.

Septimus was passing very close to the ground now and was just within reach of them.

So she reached out, grabbed hold of Oberyn's hand with all of her might and seized hold of the tip of Septimus wing.

The two of them were dragged into the air, Oberyn letting out a startled curse as they rose into the sky.

Ginny yelled out the levitation charm and directed it at the Dornish prince who she released and sent onto the back of the dragon.

She then performed it on herself, sending her own body flying through the air until she landed on Septimus' back just in front of Oberyn.

Septimus continued racing through the air towards the fallen Regulus who had taken a spear in his other wing and would be grounded for the rest of the fight no doubt.

"I hope you know that you are certifiably insane your grace!" Oberyn shouted over the thunder and the rush of wind. "And coming from me that means something!"

Ginny didn't have time to reply, for Septimus opened his massive jaws again and bathed the Dothraki surrounding Regulus in an apocalypse of flames until there was no one left but charred bodies.

He landed with a crash upon the earth and Ginny immediately slid off his back dashing towards Regulus who was growling softly under his breath, smoke puffing from his nostrils.

Oberyn hurried after her and Septimus turned towards the rabble that were bearing down upon them and used his large wings and fiery breath to shield Ginny and Oberyn as they dashed for the wounded Regulus.

The green dragon was lying half on his side and half on his stomach with the shafts of several spears sticking out from his wings.

Oberyn muttered a curse under his breath when he saw them. "The bastards have good aim."

Ginny nodded grimly before placing a numbing charm on the area where the spears were embedded so Regulus wouldn't feel anything.

Then she set about carefully extracting the shafts from the wings. Regulus let out slight growls as the pressure was released from his wings.

When all of them had been tossed aside, there was a small pool of hot blood upon the sand and some on Ginny's armor.

She pointed at the hole in the membrane of the silky green wings and muttered a word. _"Reparo."_

She felt Oberyn flinch next to her as the skin of the green dragon's wing was knit back together as if it had never been torn.

Once Ginny released the flow of magic, the fatigue that came upon her was intense enough hat she swayed slightly.

She felt Oberyn grip her shoulder then and his eyes narrowed as he looked at her face. "Are you alright?"

Ginny nodded, her breath coming in pants. "Fine….I just need a moment….to catch my breath. Using magic…and sword fighting at the same time…can be exhausting."

Oberyn nodded and then looked around. "Well it certainly seems like we have time. I don't think we have many enemies anymore."

Ginny peeked out from the shelter of Septimus' wings and saw that he was right.

She didn't know how long the battle had gone on for, but it seemed as if it had been an hour and a group of the Dothraki seemed to have lost their nerve in the face of dragon fire and Orius and his Creed were cutting through the remaining ones on the back of the gryphons who were screeching out their cries of battle.

And Sirius was still battling with Drogo.

Ginny muttered a curse under her breath as she bent over at the knees so she could catch her breath.

"Why hasn't he used his magic on the brute?" Oberyn asked.

"Buggered if I know," Ginny muttered. "Maybe he's trying to make a point. Come on, we should help dispatch the rest of these bastards."

Septimus took off back into the air and Regulus slowly got to his feet before spreading his wings and slowly flapping them up and down as if to test them out.

"Shall we get over there?" Oberyn asked.

Ginny nodded and the two of them jogged back through the battle grounds, jumping over fallen bodies, severed limbs and general carnage.

By the time they neared Sirius, Drogo was bleeding profusely and staggering from blood loss. The both of them had a fine shine of sweat on their foreheads but Sirius appeared steady as his armor had protected him while still allowing him to move with fluidity thanks to the feather light charm he had placed on it.

Something Drogo might not have accounted for was that the carnage around them would be detrimental to balancing because he staggered slightly from the blood that was slick and pooling beneath his feet.

And when he did so, Sirius seized his chance and in a wide sweep cut the legs out from under him.

The barbarian gave a roar of pain as he fell to his knees and Sirius levelled his sword at the man's neck.

 **"This is your legacy,"** he said in a low dark voice. **"Now you and all your race will fade into oblivion like so many others."**

Drogo made no response other than to screw up his face and spit at the feet of Ginny's adoptive father.

You almost had to admire him, it was a gutsy move.

And then Sirius smiled a truly terrifying smile.

Finally, with a savage cry he swung the great sword around and cut the head clean from Drogo's shoulders.

And the body of the once might khal fell headlong into the sand, blood pumping from the severed neck like water from a fountain.

Sirius closed his eyes for a moment and took several deep breaths before opening them again to find Ginny and Oberyn standing there.

Oberyn looked around the battlefield at the Creed who were chasing down the remaining Dothraki astride the gryphons. "It's a hell of a mess."

"Aye," Sirius said. He looked fatigued but his voice sounded steady. "I expect if there are some survivors there will be stories told about this day."

"Why didn't you use magic to get rid of him?" Ginny asked, sensing there was more to the reasons that Sirius had fought the khal the muggle way. "It certainly would have saved you time."

"To make a point," Sirius replied as he wiped his enormous sword on the sand at his feet. "He claimed that I hid behind my armies and dragons and gryphons. He needed to see even if it was with his last moment…that he was wrong."

"And what if he had gotten lucky?" Ginny demanded. "Was trying to prove a point really worth risking your life?"

"Think about it Gin," Sirius replied calmly, his eyes scanning the battlefield at the dragons still flying overhead and occasionally letting spurts of flame upon stray survivors.

"Many of the people of this empire think of the both of us as gods because of the power we possess. Dragons and magic haven't been seen for a very long time. So there are few people that will be able to fight us, unless they have the same abilities."

"And?"

"And I don't want to lose sight of who I am as a man just because I am a king and a leader and a sorcerer. So instead of a king or a sorcerer or a dragon rider defeating Khal Drogo today…it was just a man. Because at the end of the day, that is all I am. It was a man who helped to end the reign of a horde of raping and pillaging barbarians and perhaps it will serve as a reminder to our people as well that they don't need kings or princesses or sorcerers to fight for what is right. They too can fight for it as well."

Ginny sighed. "I suppose that makes some modicum of sense, I just think you could have made your point in a different way….perhaps a less dangerous one. But then again, you always were reckless. I can only imagine mother's reaction when she finds out what happened here."

"Let's keep that to ourselves shall we?" Sirius asked giving her a wink.

The Dornish prince smirked and the king glanced at him with an approving look. "Did that bring back memories of the old days for you Oberyn?"

The dark haired man chuckled. "I haven't felt this alive in a very, _very_ long time. It's a pity I won't see something like this again in my life time."

"The carnage of battle?" Ginny asked sarcastically.

He smirked at her. "Something like that. But the dragons as well. I don't think there will be another threat in which you will have to unveil all of them in so great a force."

"I fervently hope so," Sirius muttered looking to the skies.

All three of them were soaked from the rain and sweat and Ginny felt dead on her feet. _Note to self….lose the acrobatics next time._

The carnage on the battle field was nearly absolute and the ground was soaked with blood making appalling squishing sounds beneath their feet.

Oberyn looked down with distaste and muttered a curse under his breath.

Sirius bent down and retrieved the severed head of Drogo, lifting it by the long braids still attached.

"I assume you'll be taking that back to Mereen?" Ginny asked.

"Aye," Sirius replied. "The birds can feed on the rest. I have half a mind to name this place the Valley of Bones for what happened here. No doubt the bones of a once mighty tribe will be here for a while until they are bleached by the sun."

"That's morbidly poetic," Ginny muttered and her father chuckled. "There is no other way to talk about battle."

"I suppose not."

The three of them overlooked the valley which stretched for miles in every direction and was littered with bodies as far as the eye could see. There was a stench of rust and metal on the air and Ginny was thankful for the fact that it was still raining to mask most of the smell.

Sirius smirked at her. "You look a sigh Gin. Did you roll in blood?"

The red head grimaced. "I'm going to washing it out of my hair for a week I think."

Oberyn threw back his head and laughed, taking away some of the tension of the moment and causing both Ginny and Sirius to smile.

Just then there was a screech from above and they looked up to see one of the gryphons bearing Orius swooping down to meet them.

The golden hybrid landed with a thump in front of them and the leader of the Creed vaulted off its back.

"Report?" Sirius asked.

"There were very few survivors your grace," Orius replied. "But they are without their horses and will not long survive in the desert without water. Your victory is total."

"Good," Sirius said nodding sharply.

"We did lose one of the gryphons unfortunately your grace," Orius said in a low voice and Ginny gasped.

Sirius eyes narrowed and his hands tightened into fists. "How?"

"One of the savages proved to be too handy with a bow," Orius replied in a tight voice. "He was dispatched immediately."

"Who was riding him?" Ginny asked.

"Rasheed your grace and he was thrown. He sustained several broken bones but nothing life threatening with your grace's assistance."

The red head nodded. "I will be right there."

Sirius nodded at her. "Go. But I wish to be prepared to move back to Kosrak in an hour. The less I am in this place the better. Assemble our forces and prepare them to move out."

"Yes your grace."

And Orius made good on his word.

Within an hour they were traveling back to Kosrak albeit much more slowly than they were before.

There was less urgency this time.

Ginny who was once more atop Septimus was feeling bone tired and about to drop. But before she would fall into bed that night she told herself that she would make a quick trip to Dorne to inform Rhaegar of what had happened.

And then…then she would sleep.

And the Essosi world, now free of the nomadic tribe that had plagued so much of it….would rejoice.

Ω

 **Whew! That took a while to write as I wasn't sure how I wanted to write the battle. But I am pleased with the final result and I hope you guys are too. The next chapter will feature Ginny and Rhaegar's conversation in Dorne and then we are going to jump ahead a month in which Rhaegar and Ginny will be sailing for Mereen for the second part of the agreement between House Gryffindor and House Targaryen. Hopefully that period will go a little faster than the King's Landing segment but I make no promises. There is a lot I plan to pack into Rhaegar's stay in Essos, so prepare yourselves. That's all for now. The next story to be updated will be Book of the Stranger so keep your eyes peeled for that. I hope you guys liked the chapter, don't forget to review and happy reading everyone!**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

It was hard to keep her eyes open as Ginny flew atop Septimus over the desert and back to Kosrak. She allowed herself to doze for brief moments of time atop the dragon's warm back by casting a cushioning charm around the saddle area but it hadn't been the same as sleeping in a soft bed.

Blood was caked to her armor and making her braided hair stick. She grimaced knowing she would need to bathe for at least an hour in order to get all of it off her.

The rain had ceased shortly after the battle and the thunder and lightning had moved further north towards Vaes Dothrak and the edge of the Dothraki Sea. The breeze remained cool however for which Ginny was grateful. She didn't think she would have been able to mentally stand it if the heat had returned and she was forced to ride back like that.

For as useful as the scourgify charm was, there was something about taking a bath that appealed to Ginny much more.

The sky remained a dull grey color but far to the west, the red head could see the beginnings of the red sun peeking through the mist and shadow. They would get a glimpse of the sunset which was blood red. It was a little ironic considering what had gone on in the sands on that day.

Ginny grimaced to herself, knowing that she and her father had succeeded in making the Dothraki utterly extinct.

She knew their way of life had threatened those people in their empire who were their subjects and she knew they would never have bent the knee to Sirius so there had been no other course of action to take.

It didn't make her feel less guilty though. All those people had suffered for the sins of Drogo and his father and they had paid the price for it.

 _You gave them one final chance,_ she thought to herself. _You and Sirius gave them every opportunity to give up this fruitless cause and still they persisted. You didn't have a choice._

And then there was the matter of the gryphon that had died in battle. It needed to be given a proper burial as well.

Thankfully there were still a few more that had yet to hatch but the loss of even one of those symbols of her house was a heavy blow.

The mood was somber as the arm marched back towards Kosrak. Sirius appeared as grim as ever flying atop Faebian with a rigid back. The gryphons flew just over the heads of the army, occasionally calling to each other.

To Ginny it sounded less like communication and more like a lament for their fallen brother.

She felt her throat begin to tighten up and cleared it sharply. She wasn't sure if she wanted to weep for all that had happened but she knew she would need to wait until she was in the quiet of her own chambers before she could indulge in grief borne of exhaustion and guilt.

And she would need to inform Rhaegar of the day's events. Ginny imagined him pacing about the Water Gardens with his hands folded behind his back and a look of grim concentration about his handsome face.

Ser Arthur would no doubt be standing stoically several feet off, keeping an ever watchful eye on the prince.

Before she would fall into bed that night, Ginny made a mental note to return to Sunspear. She had planned to do so as early as the following day but had since decided that perhaps it would be best to do it as soon as the army returned from the Sea.

Ginny only intended to inform Rhaegar, Oberyn could inform his brother and sister of everything that had happened when he returned to Sunspear on the following day. Ginny only felt like repeating the information once and then never speaking of it again.

While victory had been achieved, it was a bitter one and peace had been won at a hard cost.

 _I hope I never have to fight in a conflict like this ever again,_ Ginny thought sadly to herself. _I don't want this life to be dominated by war and strife._

A sudden rush of air caused her to look to her left and she saw that Sirius had drifted closer atop Faebian and was giving her a look of abject concern.

"Are you alright Gin?" he asked.

The red head shrugged.

A knowing look entered the older man's eyes. "I know, I was the same way after my time with the Second Sons. War is a risky and grim business. And today wasn't really a victory."

Ginny frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

Sirius sighed. "I mean we may have succeeded in declawing the Dothraki but that wasn't the conclusion that we hoped for. We didn't want to fight, we wanted to change their worldview and the result is that we did not succeed in doing that. So we had to resort to more animalistic tendencies in order to prevent their conflict from spilling over into our world."

Ginny nodded knowing her adopted father had hit the nail on the head. Everyone had hoped that they might able to secretly reason with the Dothraki so conflict could be avoided. A contract of peace with them would have been ideal. And the result that it had not come was deeply disconcerting.

"In a way, you make it sound as if we are like Apex predators," she said with a small smile and Sirius chuckled.

"We sort of are Gin, you and I exist at the top of a proverbial hierarchy of Essos and it falls to us to keep those we rule in line. The Dothraki refused to be part of that even when negotiated with so we needed to act in such a way to protect ourselves and others."

"I understand," Ginny muttered. "But that doesn't mean that I have to like it."

"No you don't," Sirius replied. "And I would be concerned if you did like it. It's one of those horribly grey areas that sometimes crop up in life."

The pair fell silent for a long time after that and Ginny allowed the warmth from Septimus back to lull her into a blurry state in which she barely remembered laying her head down atop the scales to catch what sleep she could before they arrived in Kosrak.

Sometime later, the red head was awakened by the sound of a far off dragon's cry.

She jerked awake and sat up, rubbing her eyes as she looked around.

To her relief, she could see the familiar walls of Kosrak rising in the distance. The sky was beginning to lighten and turning a pale periwinkle blue that signalled early evening.

The clouds were small and puffy high overhead and the air had begun to warm again. There was a pink and gold hue at the edge of the horizon where the sun's rays took their full form and which indicated that the day was almost over.

The army was marching towards the city with as much poise as they had marched from it hours earlier.

The entire battle had taken no more than an hour with the assistance of the dragons who had burned nearly all of the Dothraki riders so they had made good time coming back.

In fact Ginny was a little alarmed at how fast and efficient it had all been. A large scale battle shouldn't be something that was so easy. And yet when you had six dragons on your side as well as other creatures out of myth, it was very difficult for anyone to stand against you…not even forty thousand men who had a reputation for being known as the finest killers alive.

News of the battle would soon spread to every corner of Essos and perhaps beyond and the bodies that had been left behind would soon become bones that would be bleached by the sun in the decades to come.

The Valley of Bones indeed.

Sirius had veered away atop Faebian and had begun calling down orders to the troops in his magically augmented voice.

Ginny cast her eyes ahead to Kosrak and had to squint slightly so that she was able to see the guards standing atop the walls. They were running back and forth and no doubt shouting orders to open the gates and alert Magister Areo of their return.

Faebian dove closer to the ground and Septimus followed suit. Several hundred yards away from the city both dragons landed with a crash on either side of the great army and continued their journey on foot.

Orius who had been riding atop his horse on the side where Ginny had landed, drew his mount nearer to Septimus.

"How many did we lose in the fighting Orius?" Ginny asked tiredly.

"Two hundred your grace," the captain of the guard replied. "As well as one of the gryphons as you know."

"I know," Ginny acceded with a sigh. "It was a necessary victory but in some ways it feels like a defeat."

The Creed man hummed in agreement. "War is never easy your grace. There never should be any good feelings associated with it."

Ginny nodded and then kept her eyes ahead to Kosrak and said no more.

Ω

Rhaegar felt as if he hadn't stopped pacing all day.

Arthur had jokingly told him he would wear a path in the floor of his chamber if kept up his movements to which the prince had left his apartments and begun pacing in the Water Gardens.

It had only been less than twelve hours since Ginevra had returned him to Dorne and there had been a myriad of things to accomplish. He had sat with Prince Doran for a while and they had discussed more of their plans, he had strolled about the Water Gardens accompanied amusingly enough by Oberyn's bastard daughters who wanted to know all about what the once Free Cities were like.

He had had to explain to them that he hadn't been there for long enough to see much but when he returned from Mereen in a few months he would be happy to come back to Dorne and regale them with tales of what he had seen.

Stern faced Obara had made him promise up and down to the consternation of her aunt and Rhaegar's own amusement.

But other than that he had been left alone with his thoughts which had proved to be a detriment.

He knew it was foolish and that Ginevra was certain to survive this battle unscathed. Certainly Septimus would allow none of the savages near her but his own inner instincts would not let him rest until he had seen her with his own eyes.

The prince also wondered what the outcome of the battle would be. He knew the Dothraki could not hope to triumph against House Gryffindor; he had seen their armies and their gryphons and their dragons. There was no army in Westeros that could hope to repel them, but he did wonder if by sheer luck some Dothraki had managed to get away or if all of them had been destroyed.

War was a game of chances and even the best laid plans could go awry despite the best odds in the universe.

Rhaegar wasn't sure what he hoped for, but he hoped all the same.

Because of the reason of her absence the prince had taken more time to think about the engagement that was sitting before the both of them which they would potentially embark upon and he was suddenly aware how the loss of her presence was extremely evident to him.

Perhaps he had allowed himself to feel this way for her because he had never allowed himself to get close to any other woman but his mother. She was the first who had managed to break into his heart despite the fact that he was surrounded by court women every damn day.

Or perhaps he was feeling this way because her character and personality was utterly refreshing in contrast to the other noble ladies he had met. Women like Cersei Lannister, Catelyn Tully, Olenna Tyrell and her daughters and any Frey woman he had ever met all had one thing in their eyes when they looked at him: desire.

Whether that was desire for himself or desire for the power that being married to him would bring them he didn't know, nor did Rhaegar much care.

They all wanted something from him and Rhaegar found he didn't have it in him to give them those things.

Most of them wanted the position that being queen would give them. In many ways he couldn't blame them. It was the highest title a woman could attain in Westeros, the most power she would ever receive and it was a tempting thing.

Ginny was the only woman who had the same amount of power that he did, it would make no difference to her in her station if she sat on a throne beside him or beside her father in Mereen.

She had wanted nothing from him in the beginning other than to see for herself what his character was. None of the other women were interested in his character, it was just what he could give them. They wanted to wear a crown, have their children be kings and princesses, tie their blood to the Targaryen line forever.

Ginny's desires were far more intimate but entirely more profound than theirs. What she wanted was personal and private and hidden. While confidence oozed from every pore in her skin, Rhaegar could tell there was a hidden vulnerability behind it, some sort of pain from her past that she had yet to disclose.

And Rhaegar wanted to know what it was…not because he was nosey or felt he had a right to know but because if she was hurting he wanted to help her heal. In these last three months alone she had helped him to realize things he had forgotten about, desires he didn't know he had and a long buried compassion for the people of his realm that he hadn't know that he had.

And he was in awe of how she had managed to do that.

But perhaps it wasn't because she was focused on things like his title or his family name or his power. So she had had more time to focus on Rhaegar Targaryen the person and know him in a more intimate way than anyone else.

He had nothing that she wanted…except love.

And that was frightening.

It was all he could give her and all that he knew she would desire as a marriage to her wouldn't depend on a crown or a title or power. It depended on the person and it was a far more vulnerable entity than any of the other things.

During that time of quiet reflection in the gardens Rhaegar truly wondered to himself if he could satisfy every need that Ginny could ever have.

She would want his heart, his support physically and emotionally, his trust, his respect and a million other things that scared the seven hells out of him.

But he also knew at this point, no other woman was going to be enough for him in the way she was. No other woman would think in the way that Ginny did or contemplate the betterment of society like she had.

And no other woman had done the things that she had. He had met no other woman who had acted for the benefit of her city and country, sat with orphans and the old and dying, lobbied for education, equal rights and health for all of the citizens in her empire.

From what he had learned from Lord Varys, the problems of poverty and crimes were slowly being solved in Essos as well. People were being allowed to educate themselves and work for a living on trade ships and in the army. Some were investing their time in educating others and contributing to the health of the sick.

It all flabbergasted Rhaegar because it almost sounded like a different world that existed parallel with the one he knew.

He couldn't imagine such things happening in Westeros. The nobles enjoyed power far too much and would never deign themselves to stoop low and educate the poor, ensure that proper healthcare was given to their vassals and subjects of every class and guarantee equal opportunity.

Illiteracy was rampant among the poor and the capital was a sorry place to live if you were lacking finances. People could be bought for a price and Rhaegar was appalled to hear some of the deals that had gone on in the past.

Part of the reason why it seemed easier for King Sirius to maintain a tight grip on control and laws in his kingdom was because he enjoyed absolute power. There were no lords that one had to curry favors from. There were rich men in Essos certainly but none of them had access to their own armies like the north or the Westerlands or the Vale did.

There were small councils in cities like Astapor and Myr but they didn't make decisions that affected the entire country. They only had jurisdiction over their particular city.

Rhaegar wondered what would be the outcome if Westeros was situated in such a way.

No doubt his father would be even more of a madman.

He grimaced as he mused on that possibility.

"What do you thing the time is Arthur?" he asked absently to the knight who was leaning against one of the tall palm fronds in the Water Gardens and watching him with a look of amusement on his face.

"Not quite the twenty second hour your grace," the Sword of the Morning replied.

Rhaegar nodded absently and then resumed his pacing. Another moment of silence passed before the knight spoke again.

"Are you certain you are well your grace?" You seem to have been on edge all day which has only increased as time has gone on."

"I'll be fine Arthur," the prince replied glaring down at the cobbled stones beneath his feet.

"Very well."

Another moment of silence passed before conversation was once more heard. "I'm sure she will be back soon your grace."

Rhaegar's head shot up and he glanced at his friend who was unsmiling but did have a peculiar look of amusement in his eyes.

"I'm not sure I understand Arthur," he said and the knight raised one eyebrow but said nothing.

"It was just an observation your grace," he said mildly. "You appear to be waiting for a change and the only one I can think of which is to occur is the return of the princess."

Rhaegar said nothing, a little irritated that his friend had so easily picked up on his mood but he knew he hadn't done a good job of hiding his apprehension.

"Perhaps you are right Arthur," was all he said before he resumed his pacing.

A moment later after another bit of tense silence, there was sudden loud cracking sound and the prince looked up so fast he felt something pull in his neck.

What met his eyes was the most welcome sight he had seen all day.

There, standing in the moonlight about twenty feet down the path was the one person he had been thinking about for hours and damn near losing his mind over.

Ginevra looked none the worse for wear given the fact that she had just come from a battle with thousands of horse riding barbarians. She was wearing a plain blue sleeveless dress with thick straps going over her shoulders and down her back. She wore no jewelry and her hair was in its usual simple curls.

Her skin looked even more marble like in the moonlight but it was the look in her eyes which struck the prince.

She looked exhausted.

Upon seeing him, her face lit up in a beatific smile causing Rhaegar's heart to beat faster.

Before he even know what he was doing, he was moving towards her. The closer he got the better she looked until his chest began to hurt.

She met him halfway and he crushed her to him as if a piece of himself had been missing for a long time and had just been returned to him.

He knew in the back of his mind that his feelings were somewhat dramatic as he had only know Ginevra for three months but she had inspired something in him that made him care about what happened to her absolutely.

The scent of her hair surrounded him and he closed his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath in before releasing it.

She was shaking slightly which concerned Rhaegar but he chose not to focus on that and instead held her tighter.

The prince didn't even notice when Arthur quietly slipped away to give the couple some privacy.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Rhaegar slowly held the red head away from him so he could have a look at her.

There was a jagged looking cut on her forehead and a bruise on her right cheek just below her eye but otherwise she seemed none the worse for wear.

His violet eyes searched her blue ones for a very long time until she took a deep breath and nodded to indicate that she was well.

"Seven hells," Rhaegar muttered under his breath. "Are you alright?"

It was a redundant question but he had to ask it for his own sanity all the same.

She gave him a small smile. "I'm getting there. Apart from a few scratches and bruises I am not injured. More tired than anything else."

"And King Sirius?"

"He is well also," Ginny replied. "As tired as I am though. He is resting right now in Kosrak but I will tell him you sent your regards. I told him I was going to come and see you before went to bed."

"Dare I inquire as to how Prince Oberyn is?" the blonde asked.

Ginny chuckled. "I believe Oberyn is the most satisfied out of all of us. He told me that he has not felt this alive since he served in the Second Sons."

"That doesn't surprise me at all," Rhaegar muttered suddenly feeling very tired. "Oberyn has always had a habit of liking things he probably shouldn't."

He shook his head briefly, knowing he would sleep much better now. "I take it the campaign was a success."

Ginny grimaced. "Almost alarmingly so."

The blonde frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Our victory was total," the red head explained. "Those few blood riders who did manage to escape will be hard pressed to return to Vaes Dothrak without water or food. All of the supplies were burned and from now on the horse lords will pass into legend."

"And how do you feel about that?" Rhaegar asked carefully, having already a bit of an idea of what was bothering her.

As he asked the question, he reached down and took her hand, threading his fingers through hers in an effort at comfort.

He was rewarded for it when he felt her tighten her hand around his.

"To be honest I feel a bit sick," she admitted.

Rhaegar frowned and slowly led her over to the nearest bench in the Water Gardens. It was situated beneath a tall palm tree and offered a lovely view of the fountains in the distance.

"Why?" he asked.

Ginny sighed. "I know that…clinically at least it was a necessary thing. The Gryphon Empire had moved on without the Dothraki. They adhered to an old way of life that the land couldn't support any longer. Slavery is a thing of the past as is raiding and pillaging and invading cities. My father put a stop to it once he assumed the throne. Theoretically unless the Dothraki had joined our empire, they could no longer exist as they were. The horse lords are no more, the sell sword companies are no more, the unsullied are no more, they've all been added to my father's armies. An age of anarchy in Essos has come and gone and I know we are all better for it. It's just….forty thousand men died today because one man couldn't let go of the past."

Rhaegar hesitated a moment before putting his arm around the lovely red head. He wanted to comfort her as he knew she was feeling conflicted about everything that had happened but he wasn't sure how exactly.

"Drogo forced your father's hand," he said finally. "Some men are such that they cannot be reasoned with. I should know, I live with one. Until you and King Sirius came along no one could reason with my father and in order to get anything done his ego had to be appealed to or else we had to go behind his back and make sure he never found out what we had done. Sometimes its necessary to simply eliminate the threat once and for all once its determined that said threat will not change."

Ginny sighed again and pressed a finger to her temple. "And I know that here. I'm just having a hard time reconciling it here."

She pointed to her heart and Rhaegar tightened his arm around her. "Give it time. You wouldn't be normal if you could suddenly compartmentalize everything that happened today in one hour of it happening. I would be very concerned about your ability to empathize if that were the case. Like you said, it may have left a bad taste in your mouth but it was necessary."

Ginny surprised Rhaegar then by resting her head against his shoulder. "When are we going to be able to live in a world where killing people isn't necessary?"

Rhaegar chuckled quietly. "When people stop being greedy broken vicious individuals."

"So never then?" the red head asked.

"Hmm, I wouldn't say never," Rhaegar replied. "But until their collective way of thinking has been changed for good…well I am afraid we are sitting atop a dragon with no wings."

Ginny stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter and surprising the prince. "Where on earth did you hear that expression?"

Rhaegar blinked, a little surprised at her response. "My mother often uses it. I suppose I just picked it up along the way."

Ginny got control of her giggles before coughing several times to clear her throat. "I've never heard that before. I suppose I'll have to begin using it."

"Good," the prince said somewhat imperiously. "I'm glad to see some of me is rubbing off on you."

And then all of a sudden he frowned. "Where is Prince Oberyn? I would have thought he would return with you."

Ginny shrugged. "As much as Oberyn is incredibly arrogant about many things, including his stamina and skill, I think the day tired him out more than he would like to admit. He's resting in Kosrak right now."

Rhaegar chuckled. "I know known Oberyn Martell for a long time and half of what he says is true and the other half is complete and utter horse shit."

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him. "I am quite inclined to agree with you. "When we have a particular hour to ourselves, I will tell you everything that happened today and all the trouble he nearly got himself into. I had to bail him out of a tight situation halfway through the battle."

Rhaegar raised an eyebrow. "And if you were in the same position with him am I correct in assuming that he assisted in bailing you out of a similar tight position?"

Ginny laughed softly. "Maybe."

"Hmmm."

The two fell silent for a moment and remained so until Ginny tried to stifle a poorly contained yawn.

Rhaegar chuckled. "I think you should get some rest. It's been a long day for you."

The redhead nodded. "I'll go back in a minute. This has been the quietest part of the day so far and I want to enjoy it with you. Sleep can wait for a few more minutes."

A warm feeling filled the prince at her admission. "I'd like to enjoy this part of the day with you as well."

And then a sudden poignant realization struck him and he swallowed hard. There was a demanding little voice in his head to put aside his cool court diplomacy and talk about what had been on his mind for a very long time, perhaps even since he had seen her sitting with those orphans nearly three months ago.

She had just been completely honest with him, surely he could be completely honest with her as well.

"In fact," he said and swallowed hard again at what he was about to say. "I think that I would like to spend this part of the evening with you…..for as long as I have evenings to spend."

He wanted to curse at himself for how awkward sounding that had come out but it seemed that his words had their desired effect nonetheless for he felt Ginevra stiffen beside him before pulling away from his shoulder and turning to face him.

Her expression was one of complete astonishment…as well as a strange sense of knowing and almost sadness that made him somewhat unsure of himself.

But the next expression that crossed her beautiful face was so pure that it shook him to his core.

It was joy.

"You would?" she asked and the words were so low that he barely heard them. "Really?"

He turned to face her on the bench and looked down into her deep blue eyes so that she could see he was utterly serious. "I know the reasons for which I was left behind today. But those reasons threw into sharp relief that I don't ever want to be left behind again when you need to do something of this level of importance. Ser Arthur can attest that I did little but pace this whole day and my thoughts were nowhere else but the Dothraki Sea."

The prince paused and too the hands of the red head in his, wanting to convey with every physical gesture just how serious he was. "Ginevra I know that this six month period was derived to give you time to decide on what it was you truly wished to do and I was thankful for it because I wanted to know who you were before you possibly became my wife. And you may still need more time and I will not begrudge you it. But I want you to know that I need no more time to make a decision. You have utterly convinced me that this is what I want and nothing else."

The princess inhaled sharply and Rhaegar felt her hands tighten in his.

"It is?" she asked in a whisper.

"It is," he replied having never been more certain of anything in his life. "You are the only woman I have ever met who didn't desire anything that the title of queen could give her. Perhaps that is because of your royal status or because you once told me that you are difficult to impress. But you want more from me than a crown or a title. You want my heart and the realization of that frightened me more than I would care to admit because that is something that is infinitely harder for me to give. But it something that I want to give because you deserve it."

It might have been his imagination but Ginny looked like she was about to cry. Her deep blue eyes were glistening in the moonlight like large pools of water that were about to spill over.

Impulsively Rhaegar removed his hands from hers and brought them to her face to wipe away the moisture he was certain was gathering there. "I've overwhelmed you. I'm sorry."

"No," Ginny said quickly and he was surprised at how strong her voice sounded. "No, you just beat me to what I wanted to say."

Rhaegar frowned, his mind not computing what she had said. "I beg your pardon?"

In response, Ginny reached up her hand and rested it against the side of his face. "I thought about you a lot today as well and I missed you more than I thought I would. In the end it made me realize a few things."

"What sort of things?" Rhaegar asked. His heart was beginning to race in anticipation.

Ginny sighed and there was a visible struggle on her face. "I find this sort of thing difficult to say because I've gone a long time without feeling the need to say them."

She paused again her face conflicted.

Rhaegar remained silent for if she was about to say what he thought she might…then he could most certainly wait.

"Other than my own family….and certain people I have known from my past…I have not had it in me to share my heart with anyone. My father, my mother my three brothers, they were all I could give anything to. When you are a royal, you learn to keep yourself emotionally aloof when it comes to your own feelings. We serve the realm and not the other way around. But there are times when I did wonder what it would be like to have someone to share the burden with. Caring for people is hard and protecting them is even more difficult. You are constantly required to serve and before long you give until you can't anymore. That was what I was feeling after the events of the battle today. And I thought of you before and after it. I was so distracted that my father picked up on my mood and questioned me about it."

Rhaegar nodded silently. His own mood had been so erratic that he was certain Arthur was wondering if there was something seriously wrong with him.

"Sharing your heart with someone is difficult," Ginny went on. "It's painful and it scary but it can also be one of the most wonderful experiences someone can ever do. And it's what I want to do. I know it's only been three months since we've known each other and you might think this is a bit early – "

She was cut off a second later when the prince leaned down gently and in his own way stopped her from continuing to ramble.

This kiss was not as passionate as the one that had been exchanged that morning in Kosrak but it was more fulfilling in a way, a sign of promise that was being exchanged between them.

When they both could no longer breathe, the blonde pulled back slightly and rested his head against the red head's, arms moving to enclose her. "Does this mean that when this….probationary period is over….that you'll marry me?"

Ginny took a deep breath as the last of her concerns went racing through her mind before she decided once and for all what she wanted.

"Yes," she said softly, suddenly never more certain of anything and knowing that somewhere her family was smiling down at her….including Harry. "Yes I will."

Rhaegar's answering smile was so bright it could have lit up the night. There was a large amount of relief in his eyes as well as if he hadn't been certain that she would give him an affirmative.

He sighed and then pulled her closer so she was almost sitting in his lap. "I was hoping for that answer. I didn't want to consider the possibility that what I was feeling was all in my head and that in three months you would return to Mereen and I would be stuck with Cersei Lannister for the rest of my life."

Ginny began to laugh and then clapped a hand over her mouth so she wouldn't be heard.

"I wouldn't be that cruel," she teased. "Besides, having to spend any time with Cersei Lannister is a cruel and unusual punishment that should only be reserved for our most dangerous prisoners."

Rhaegar began to laugh. "Point taken. I should tell the executioner he is now out of work because we have a higher form of capital punishment than death."

Ginny's sides were beginning to hurt from laughing so hard. She took several deep breath until they had subsided and then rested her forehead once more against the prince's. "It seems laughter is the best cure for anger confusion or sadness."

"I fervently agree."

There was another moment of silence between the royal couple before Rhaegar spoke again. "If I might ask one thing?"

"Of course."

"This….decision we have made," he said. "May we keep it between us for the time being? I say this because I still wish to travel to Mereen and see the realm of King Sirius. I meant what I said in the small council chamber three months ago. I wish to be a good king and perspective is the way to do that I feel."

"Of course," Ginny said. "This secret will be ours for a little while longer. There are still things about you that I don't know that I wish to and this second part of this trip will be a way to learn about them. "

"Good," Rhaegar said feeling as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Ginny sighed then. "I do wish even more now that I wouldn't have to go back but its getting late and I can feel my eyes becoming heavy. I should probably get back to Kosrak and get some sleep before returning with Oberyn in the morning. I also want to say goodbye to my father."

"Very well then," Rhaegar said helping her to her feet. He was a little disappointed that their time was being cut short but he understood. "I will see you in the morning then."

Ginny surprised him then by leaning in and planting a quick kiss to his lips. She didn't even give him enough time to enjoy it before she pulled back.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said quietly. "And be prepared for Oberyn's rather embellished story regarding everything that happened.

"I look forward to it," Rhaegar said with a smile.

The stunning read head flashed him a grin before spinning on her heel and disappearing in a flash of light with a crack.

The prince watched the spot where she had been for a moment longer before turning around and strolling back to the palace.

But even as he strode away, he knew he didn't have a dragon….but he still felt as if he could fly.

Ω

 **This chapter is a little short and mostly fluff because I was having some writer's block with it. In the next chapter we are going to go to a time jump of a few weeks to when Ginny and Rhaegar arrive in Mereen. Her time in King's Landing is over and its time for the next part of the story. Don't forget to review and happy reading everyone!**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

 _Six weeks later…._

It was hard to imagine that there might be a parallel between relief and guilt, but if there was Rhaegar was certain he was experiencing it right now.

He was standing on the prow of the ship the Golden Queen next to Ginny and waving to the people of King's Landing as he sailed out over Black Water Bay and into the Narrow Sea.

His garb was elegant, a deep blood red edged with black and a silver pin fashioned into the three headed dragon that signified House Targaryen was fastened to the cloth of his right breast. Extending from the top of the pin was a silver chain that went up and over his shoulder connecting to a silver cloak that blew out like a cape behind him. It was attached to the top of the silver chain and ran down the length of his back ending at the curve of his left hip and making him appear all the more striking.

Ginny was also sporting her house colours, but her garb was far more serious as she wore a golden dress that had been fashioned to look like she had been cloaked in dragon scales. Its sleeves were long but its collar went right to the edges of her shoulders. Along the back of her dress right where her shoulder blades would have been located there was a short black cape that was jagged along the edges so as to appear like the membrane of a dragon's wing. Her long scarlet curls were pulled to the top if her head, leaving the rest to cascade down her back like a waterfall but she wore no jewelry.

The whole picture caused her to look dramatic and striking so as to portray not just the beautiful monarch, but also the fierce and stoic woman who had helped her father conquer an empire.

Standing next to Rhaegar, the two of them made quite a pair, looking to all those gathered as if they were about to bring the entire world to heel.

Rhaegar's face was as grim as Ginny had ever seen it and she wondered what was going on behind those violet eyes of his.

They had said a private goodbye to his mother and brother earlier that morning and Ginny had had a lump in her throat as she watched three year old Viserys bid farewell to his only sibling.

Viserys had wrapped his arms around his brother's neck and buried his face in his shoulder length platinum hair.

He had refused to let go until Rhaegar had whispered something into his ear. Then he had pulled back and reached for Ginny.

 _"You'll take care of him right?" he had asked and Ginny had felt the corner of her eyes begin to sting to her consternation.  
_

 _"I promise," she whispered back into the three year old's ear. "He'll be perfectly safe with me."  
_

 _"I am standing right here you know," Rhaegar had joked good naturedly but there had been an air of seriousness in his tone and eyes as they stood there in Queen Rhaella's private chambers. Ginny knew that of all the people in the capital besides her own entourage these were the only three that she could trust. And she was determined not to betray the faith Rhaella and Viserys had in her by anything happening to Rhaegar while they were in Essos.  
_

 _"And when you come back you'll show me your dragon?" Viserys asked and Ginny smiled as out of the corner of her eye Rhaegar had rolled his eyes up to the ceiling.  
_

 _"I promise on that too," she said. "Septimus doesn't like a lot of people so when there's a quiet time I'll show him to you. Alright?"  
_

 _"Alright," the tiny prince replied. "Can I ride on him too?"  
_

 _Ginny cast an eye at Rhaella who bore a mixture of a smile and a grimace. "We'll see if we can work something out."  
_

 _She handed the little boy back to his mother who walked over to the door and called for his nursemaid who promptly came and took him from the room.  
_

 _Only then did the queen turn to the young couple.  
_

 _She looked back and forth between them for a moment before reaching one hand down for Rhaegar's hand and then surprising Ginny by reaching for her other one.  
_

 _"Be careful," she said. "Both of you. I know you are traveling to your realm Ginevra, but I feel in my heart that there will be tension from an unknown source. I cannot explain it and yet I feel uneasy. Keep your eyes and ears open."  
_

 _Ginny frowned, wondering why on earth she was one of the people to be receiving this speech from Rhaella. She wasn't her daughter.  
_

 _And then a thought struck her….Rhaegar must have said something to his mother about what the two of them had decided in Dorne several weeks ago.  
_

 _And Rhaella knew that Ginny fully intended to marry her son when the three months in Mereen had passed.  
_

 _She thought that he had wanted to keep such information to himself for the time being, but then decided that this was his mother and the knowledge that he would soon be marrying her was important enough to share.  
_

 _So she decided she wouldn't begrudge him that.  
_

 _What did surprise her however was that Rhaella was regarding her suddenly as a member of the family?  
_

 _After all what had Ginny truly done to merit that? Just because the two were going to marry didn't mean that she would automatically share blood with the queen.  
_

 _But even more than that Ginny was amazed at the level of trust Rhaella had in her already. The two had only had a few conversations since she had come to Westeros and in almost all of them, the queen had been emotionally aloof, being polite but not too warm which Ginny had taken to be a defense mechanism.  
_

 _That was fine with her as she had kept herself emotionally aloof as well. But the queen's change of heart without words had surprised her deeply.  
_

 _She did appreciate it though.  
_

 _Rhaella was obviously a loyal woman and if she had it in her head that this was the woman that her son would be marrying, perhaps she had seen it fit to take the younger red head under her wing.  
_

 _Maybe her transition to the keep wouldn't be as strange or as awkward as she was worried about.  
_

 _It was certainly something that eased Ginny's mind. Aerys opinion on who she was didn't matter. But connecting with Rhaella and Viserys? That had always been something that made her nervous.  
_

 _And now it seemed she didn't have to worry about it._

Ginny found her mind drifting to the conversation as she stood on the stern of the ship with Rhaegar beside her and watched the rapidly disappearing coastline. Even now King's Landing was no more than a dot on the horizon.

It was a beautiful day for travel with not a cloud in the sky and a hot sun bearing down on them from the blue heavens.

They had passed out of Black Water Bay not long ago and the farther they drew from King's Landing the more Ginny could feel the tension in her shoulders draining away. _  
_

The wind blew strands of hair about her face and she turned to the tall handsome prince beside her. He was staring out to sea with a very focused gaze and the lines that sometimes creased around his eyes had smoothed out. He looked strangely…relaxed.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

He took a noticeable deep breath, closed his eyes and then opened them again, giving her a long deep look with those violet eyes until she almost felt as if she could drown in them.

"Yes," he said in a low calm voice. "I think….that this is the most…alright I have been in a very long time. I feel even calmer than when we left for Dorne. Perhaps it is because we going as far away from my father's influence as I could possibly become, or perhaps for the first time in my own memory I can safely set aside for a time the mantle of pressure my father has placed upon me."

He paused here for a moment and then surprised Ginny by reaching down and taking her hand, running his thumb back and forth across her knuckles, causing chills to rise on the red head's skin.

"If anything, I'm happy," he said lowering his voice exponentially. It seemed to have become deeper lately and caused and unconscious thrill to sliver down Ginny's back. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to focus. "I know that my mother and brother will be safe whilst I am gone and I will be away from a court that has become toxic over the years. When I become king, I plan on ridding the keep of all poisonous influences and this time away will give me a chance to think about who would best fit the realm."

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "I take it that you've been thinking about this for a while."

He nodded. "I have. Nearly every member of my father's small council is a bunch of power hungry fools who've taken advantage of the king's madness. I want people installed that I can trust and who will act in the best interests of the realm and not themselves."

Ginny chuckled slightly. "Its one thing to say that and one thing to actually carry it out. I find there are a lot of people in this world who are so focused on their own personal glory that they forget there are other lives around them."

"Indeed, but you and your father seemed to have managed it reasonably well," Rhaegar replied.

"That's because the political system of Essos is far different from Westeros," Ginny gently explained. "There isn't as much consolidated power in the east. There were seven kings in Westeros before the Targaryens arrived and many armies that needed to be put down before your ancestors could assume the throne. My father and I didn't encounter those sorts of problems. There was only one magister in each city and our dragons and magic had much to do with infiltrating each of them. After all, people want power and once it was explained to some of the ancient noble families who inhabit Myr that they may keep their titles and influence so long as they agree to bend the knee to my father, we encountered little resistance."

Rhaegar sighed. "I know it, and this is what makes me far more uneasy about setting a crown on my head."

"Power isn't something to be afraid of," Ginny said squeezing his hand gently. "But it should be treated as a burden and not as a right."

Rhaegar stared at her for a moment before reaching down so he might take her other hand and turned her to face him.

The look in his eyes was soft, a feeling which caused Ginny's toes to curl in the most pleasant way possible.

"What is it?" she asked.

"How is it that at eight and ten you have grown to be so wise?" the prince asked. "I am willing to wager all the coin in the realm that none of the women at court would have answered me in such a way."

"They don't understand power because they have never experienced it," Ginny explained smiling. She liked the way he was holding her close and listening carefully to what she had to say.

Rhaegar had a peculiar way of looking at her in such a way that made her feel as if she were the only person in the world that mattered.

Harry had always had the look of a man who was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and it had only intensified in their last few years of school as the war with Voldemort had ramped up.

He hadn't been able to give her his full attention and in no way had Ginny faulted him for that. Saving the world was far more important.

But even though Rhaegar also bore the burden of power, he had a manner with which he viewed her that said she was more important than all that.

And Ginny's superficial side liked that. She had a feeling this would be love before long and she was excited to see how they got there.

There was also a balance to Rhaegar that calmed Ginny. She knew he would a far more level headed man than his father and power would be something he would treat with respect and tenacity. He would lead the realm with tranquility and compassion and it made Ginny all the more relaxed about marrying him.

His proposal to her a few months ago in the Water Gardens of Sunspear still made her head spin. The knowledge that was she was going to be married not long after

Rhaegar's trip to Mereen was still strange to her.

She had never planned to marry so young before and the knowledge that she had met someone who wasn't Harry and who understood her better than almost anyone in this life could, who had compassion, sincerity, honor, humility, intelligence and awareness of his realm still floored her. She could only wonder herself how she had become so lucky.

"True enough," Rhaegar replied. "And I am increasingly blessed that you do."

Ginny smiled up at him and reached up a hand to rest it against the side of his face. "We'll still need to figure out much of what ruling entails for ourselves."

"I'm not worried," the prince replied with his usual quiet confidence. "Whatever happens, we will face it….together."

Ginny smiled at him and then glanced back out to sea, noting that they had gone a good distance from shore. She was certain they were out of Black Water Bay and she could no longer see the tall towers of the Red Keep in the distance.

It was time.

She turned away from Rhaegar. "Captain!"

The sharp faced man standing at the helm with his hands grasped tightly to the spokes turned at the sound of her voice. He was dressed in a black tunic and trousers with the golden symbol of a gryphon emblazoned on his breast pocket.

He was a merchant captain that Sirius had known before his days of being king by the name of Abrien. _  
_

His quick grey eyes looked her way and he barked a command to one of the men standing near him. The second man immediately took the wheel and the man strode up to her and prince, giving them a smart bow.

Abrien was a middle aged man with a face that had been repeatedly burned by the wind and sun. It was leathery and dark but there were lines around his eyes that indicated that he smiled a lot.

He was one of the finest captains in their employ and he and Sirius had a long history together. Once her adoptive father had assumed the throne of Essos, he had offered the sea captain a position in his navy as admiral of their fleet. He had been responsible for ferrying them back and forth from Mereen to King's Landing.

Sirius trusted him absolutely and therefore so did Ginny.

Once he had bowed he straightened up and nodded to Rhaegar. "What may I help you with your grace?"

"Are we out of sight of King's Landing and the coast completely captain?" she asked.

Abrien gave her a sharp nod. "Aye your grace. Not even the finest Myrish spyglass from the topmost tower of the Red Keep would be able to see us now."

Ginny nodded back smartly. "Good."

Abrien raised an eyebrow at her. "Shall I give the order then your grace?"

The red head gave him an almost wolfish grin. "If you please captain. I promised my father we would be back before midday."

"Right then."

Captain Abrien strode away and Rhaegar fixed Ginny with a confused expression. "What did he mean by an order? And how on earth are you planning to get back to Mereen by noon? Are you planning to apparate us there?"

"No," Ginny replied. "Apparition involves moving people. There is another way of magical travel that allows one to move whole objects no matter the size. Its called creating a portkey."

Rhaegar appeared intrigued. "What is a portkey?"

"It is a magical object that has been charmed to take someone to a destination of their choosing," Ginny explained.

"I see," Rhaegar replied furrowing his brow. "And what is the portkey you have charmed to take us to Mereen?"

Ginny gave him a bright smile. "Why this entire ship of course."

Rhaegar blinked and opened his mouth to ask more question when all of a sudden he was cut off with a shrill whistle from the captain.

Immediately all work and chatter on the deck ceased and all eyes turned to the grizzled captain standing at the helm.

"Listen up you lot," Abrien barked. "The princess has given the order. You know what to do. Grab hold of something solid and for the love of all the gods, do not let go!"

There was a flurry of motion as all deckhands abandoned their tasks and raced for the side of the ship, the rigging or the mast to grasp hold of the ropes.

Rhaegar watched the process from the stern in bewildered fascination. "Have they all traveled with you before? I can only assume that that is how they know what to do."

"Not all of them," Ginny replied. "Some know what a portkey is and others do not. But Captain Abrien instructed all of his men that there would be a time when we were far enough out to sea where no one could spot us that he would ask the men to cease their tasks and take hold of the rigging. Some know what it means and some do not. But they will know hereafter. Now I suggest we take hold of something as well."

"Come your graces," Abrien said gesturing to the wheel of the ship upon which he was holding on. "There is no more secure place aboard this vessel than the helm herself."

"Thank you captain," Ginny replied and led Rhaegar over to the wheel.

"This is just like apparition then?" Rhaegar asked.

"Yes," Ginny replied. "But when you open your eyes we will be on the edge of Gryphon Bay and weeks of travel will have been diminished to all but a few seconds."

"I have a feeling I'm going to need to become used to this," the crown prince muttered prompting a musical laugh from Ginny.

"Right then," Abrien barked, "how much time do we have your grace?"

Ginny glanced down at the centre of the helm and grinned slightly when she saw that the wooden spoke had begun to light up with iridescent colors, a telltale sign that departure was imminent.

"Ten seconds captain," she said. "Shall I call it out for everyone?"

"Please do," Abrien nodded. "That way when we appear in the sky above the bay I may order the men to brace for impact."

"Of course."

"Appear in the sky?" Rhaegar asked suddenly, a look of bewilderment covering his stunning face. "Surely that's not possible!"

Ginny smirked at him. "You'll find the more time you spend with me Rhaegar that the things you thought impossible don't apply to House Gryffindor."

Before the prince could ask any more questions, she turned to the rest of the ship and tapped her throat, "Sonorous."

And then with an augmented voice, the red head began to call out the remaining time that was left. "Six….Five….Four….Three…Two…ONE!"

Every member of the crew appeared to tense up and white knuckled their hold on whatever structures they had grasped.

There was suddenly a most strange feeling as if they were being tugged forward at a great speed. Ginny felt her hair blow back from her face and her eyes begin to tear so she closed them.

And then as quickly as it had come, the rushing ended and then there was a most frightful jerk where Ginny felt as if she were being turned upside down and she gripped hold of the helm harder.

She heard a muffled curse from Rhaegar who was standing next to her. The sensation of being turned upside down lasted for no more than a few seconds before they were jerked right side up and Ginny knew they had come across the known world.

The princess smiled as she opened her eyes and was confronted with an azure blue sky dotted with clouds here and there.

Her smile was confronted for a moment as she felt her stomach rise up knowing they were beginning to fall.

In the distance, she could see the golden pyramid of Mereen with the statue of the gryphon at the very top.

She jerked her head to the right to Abrien who was still holding onto the helm. "Captain! Tell the men to brace for impact! I will slow our descent!"

"Aye your grace!"

While the old sea dog was busy shouting orders, having to almost roar them over the howling wind as the ship plummeted towards the sapphire waters below, Ginny cast a quick sticking charm to Rhaegar's feet so he wouldn't be knocked off them when they landed.

"What are you doing?" the prince demanded glancing down at his feet.

"Making certain no one gets hurt," the princess replied before diving forward and gripping the railing at the back of the ship.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

In an instant the feeling of weightlessness became very much less and the men who had begun to rise into the air due to the loss of gravity came back down to the deck with a thud.

 _Hold tight gentlemen, I'm taking us down._

The ship's descent stopped its plummet and slowed to a float as they wafted down in the morning breeze.

Ginny could hear oaths and curses from the sailors behind her but she paid them no mind as she brought the ship down upon the wings of the wind.

She glanced back at Rhaegar as she was performing this task and grinned to see the look of wonder on his face as he looked about him at the open ocean.

There was a sharp intake of breath that followed and she knew he had caught sight of the Great Pyramid of Mereen off in the distance.

"Good lord," he whispered. "Is that it?"

"Aye," Ginny replied. "That is my home."

No more was said as she continued to lower them to the surface of the water and the ocean came up to meet them because no more needed to be said.

When they finally landed on the top of the waves there was a rocking sound that unbalanced Ginny and she stumbled back a few steps only to be caught by Rhaegar who wrapped his arms around her waist when her back hit his chest.

The closeness of their bodies and the way she felt the heat of his skin through his tunic caused heat to rise in Ginny's cheeks and she prayed that the prince wouldn't see it.

"You know," he whispered quickly in her ear, causing chills to rise on her skin. "I can handle more than I think you give me credit for."

The red head turned towards him and cocked her head to one side, conscious of the fact that he hadn't taken his hands from her waist. "What do you mean?"

The prince gave her a knowing smile and then glanced down at his charmed feet that were still glued to the deck.

"Oh," Ginny said sheepishly. "Right."

She immediately muttered the counter charm and watched as Rhaegar freed himself from the magic.

Only then did he take his hands from her.

"I mean that I think you worry too much about me," he said. "I can handle more than you think I can, magic or no. At some point, I hope you will realize that."

"I know," Ginny said with a sigh. "But I don't like to take chances, you know that too. And its far easier for me to take said chances when I'm alone than it is when I'm with someone else. When I'm with you….I don't want to risk anything."

To her surprise, Rhaegar's eyes merely softened at the omission.

"I understand," he said. "But you do know that marriage is a risk yes? We'll be partners in everything and such things do require a degree of trust. I want to reach that place with you."

Ginny melted slightly. He could be quite romantic when he was away from his family and the pressures of court and being the crown prince.

"So do I," she said. "And you're right, marriage will be an adventure. But it's one that I am very much looking forward to."

Rhaegar smiled at her and then squeezed her hands gently before moving apart as the captain strode back up the bridge toward them.

"We are roughly an hour's journey from Mereen your grace," he said. "Your foresight of our landing was impeccable."

"Thank you captain," Ginny said. "Please do not feel as if you have to rush. Time is with us."

"Very good your grace."

After Abrien had strode back to the helm, Ginny led Rhaegar down the steps of the bridge and across the main deck, nodding at the sailors who bowed to them. Some seemed shaken from the magic warping of the portkey and others looked at her in wonder, obviously knowing that whatever had happened, she had done it.

"They seem quite in awe of you," Rhaegar said quietly as they walked side by side towards the prow of the ship.

"I'm afraid the stories of magic have journeyed faster across Essos than my father and I have," Ginny explained. "People have blown the stories far out of proportion and made it seem as if we are gods rather than simply a king and princess."

"To the average person who has never experienced magic before, you might as well be," Rhaegar replied. "I remember how some of the children looked at me when you took me to that orphanage some months ago as if I were some sort of angelic creature come down from the clouds and realizing that who we are has a profound effect on those around us, especially if you have power."

"That is very true," Ginny conceded.

They said nothing more until they arrived at the front of the ship whereupon they would have the best view when they entered Gryphon Bay.

The sun was shining just as brightly in this part of the world as it had been in the one they had left behind with the exception of the breeze being even hotter and Ginny was glad she had worn something light.

"What a beautiful day," she commented. "Perfect weather for sailing."

"Aye," the prince replied. "But somehow I don't think we're going to be doing a lot of it while we're here."

"What gives you that idea?" Ginny asked.

"There are other forms of transportation than sailing," the prince said giving her a knowing smile. "And faster ones too. And I will be in Essos for three months before returning home. I expect I am going to be treated to those forms of transportation."

"You just might," Ginny said with a smirk.

They lapsed into silence for a little while simply watching as they drew nearer and nearer to Gryphon Bay. A few words were exchanged but for the most part, Ginny was simply content to watch Rhaegar's face as details along the coast came into view.

It was rather amusing.

At first, the prince's violet eyes had been glued to the Great Pyramid as it was the largest thing he could see and its color rendered it unmistakable. But then as they drifted closer, he saw the large horseshoe shaped landscape extending on either side of them that was a mix of green and gold and orange and brown and then azure blue in the middle. Rising over all of it was the great pyramid with its crowning gryphon that was drawing attention like a moth to a flame.

Slowly the city began to emerge from the shimmering waves of heat and Ginny began to see the houses, the temples, the hospitals that had been erected, the schools, and the green spaces that had been set aside for public enjoyment along with the market places.

The horse shoe shaped bay seemed to reach out with the landscape on either side like arms to receive them as they drew nearer and Ginny felt her heart quickening.

She was almost home.

"Good lord," Rhaegar whispered beside her. "It's enormous. It must be twice the size of King's Landing."

"There is about two hundred thousand. It is as large as Astapor and Yunkai combined," Ginny informed him.

"Where are all the colors coming from?" Rhaegar asked.

"The houses are made of the same sort of brick, but many of them are different colors," Ginny explained. "I don't really know why, it was like that before my father and I came to Mereen. The walls are higher and thicker and better maintained than the other former slave cities."

"Are those defensive towers?" Rhaegar asked pointing to the city in various places.

"They are. The north wall runs along the riverbank and the west that we are now approaching faces the bay. The northern wall is higher than the others and there are still bronze harpy heads studded along that wall with open mouths so that defenders can pour boiling oil down upon an attacking army."

Rhaegar visibly cringed. "What a horrible way to die."

"There are no more brothels in the city and the fighting pits have been abandoned, but the temples, granaries, smaller palaces and baths are still in use. The brothels and some questionable taverns have been turned into hospitals and schools and orphanages for the children of the city. Do you see the scores of lesser pyramids?"

She pointed and Rhaegar nodded. They weren't as easy to see as the Great Pyramid but their shades made them stand out.

"Why are they different colors?" the prince asked.

"I don't really know," Ginny replied. "But the Great Masters and their families once lived in those pyramids before my father and I came to the city."

"Once?"

"Yes. Some still reside there but have taken up different professions. Others refused to bend the knee to my father and fled east, taking as many of their possessions with them as they could. In many places, my father gave the rule of those pyramids to better men and some were converted into public spaces. There is the Pahl pyramid on the south side of the city which is pink and white and is used as a hospital for the poor and sick and the children. Then there is the pyramid of Naqqan which is green and black. It housed the Creed before they came to serve us and it still does to an extent. The pyramid of Rhazdar is yellow and green and is a great center for learning and for those who wish to devote their lives to knowledge. The pyramid of Kandaq is the possession of the family of our steward Gulian. And between the pyramids are the lesser well to do places. It used to be very poor and the difference between the impoverished and the wealthy was polarizing but now, its slowly becoming a city of equals. Attitudes are changing and I'm very happy that my father and I have been part of it."

"There is a lot I have to see," Rhaegar said with a touch of wonder in his voice.

"Well, we have three months," Ginny said easily. "That's plenty of time to see everything and perhaps we can go to some of the others cities as well."

"I believe I would like that."

"Good."

Ginny cast her eyes back to the city and for a moment ceased thinking about the future and thought on the past.

Sirius was the first king the city had had in a thousand years which was a remarkable feat. But unlike the kings, the tall cedars that once grew along the coast were no more, having been felled by the empire.

 _Maybe that would be a good project to start for Vellaena,_ the red head thought. _Once the baby is born and is a little older, we could bring the trees back and make Mereen even more green._

"We are nearing the bay your graces!" a sailor called from the rigging.

"Thank you!" Ginny called back.

However as they sailed into the newly named Gryphon Bay, and Rhaegar got his first good long look at Mereen, for a moment he almost forgot the reason he was there and felt his jaw slacken in shock and awe.

He knew that Mereen was one of the greatest cities in Essos next to Qarth and had many wonders. Its great pyramid alone was a sight to behold and gleamed like it was made of solid gold in the midday sun.

It was a perfect day for travel with a hot sun overhead, not a cloud in the sky and a consistent breeze blowing from the west which pushed them even further east.

The water of Gryphon Bay was as clear as glass and in some places Rhaegar thought that he might be able to see clear to the bottom if he looked hard enough.

In Essos, the air was far fresher and clearer and he had no problems taking as many deep breaths as he desired.

Gryphon Bay was in the shape of a perfect u and he could see many ships weighing anchor as they passed. There was the sound of sailors calling to one another from across the water in their many tongues and the salt in the air was sharp.

The sun was warm against their faces as they looked up to it and with the steady wind blowing, they would reach the harbor in perhaps another five minutes.

"It certainly is beautiful here," the prince muttered to himself. "And one thing I don't have to worry about is the smell."

Ginny laughed. "Yes, that's one benefit of living in this city. Mereen has a different sort of drainage than King's Landing."

"You mean to say that its actually effective," Rhaegar muttered and her laughed sprang forth again.

Just then, their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a screech from overhead. Rhaegar jerked his head upwards and was astonished to see a large winged creature swooping over the deck of the ship.

It was not a dragon of this he could tell right away for it was far too small. But it was the most unusual creature he had ever seen.

From the short look he had been allowed, he could tell it was a sort of hybrid creature as he could see the sharp talons of a bird and its head was one of a bird of prey. The second half of its body was that of a lion with its golden pelt and tail and back paws. Its great white wings gave off a great pulsing wind as it flew and Rhaegar felt it blow his hair back as the odd creature passed.

"Is that a gryphon?" he asked with wonder in his voice.

"It is," Ginny whispered a grin of surprise on her face. She knew they would see the creatures soon enough but she didn't know that one would fly right out to the ship to greet them as if it sensed their coming.

She was even more pleased when the gryphon paused right above the mast and then swooped even lower before hovering above the deck and landing with a clatter of hooves.

The startling presence of the magnificent creature caused many of the crewmen to jump back in surprise as it was as large as a horse and its wingspan was as long.

It stood there for a moment looking around at all the crewmen with a focused golden gaze making many of them shrink from it.

The crewmen stared at it for a moment before Captain Abrien bellowed at them to get back to work and there was a flurry of activity as tasks recommenced.

Ginny gave a delighted cry however and dashed forward. "Buckbeak!"

She left behind a confused Rhaegar who was watching the creature with wide violet eyes.

The gryphon pranced right up to her and preened slightly when she stroked the feathers atop its head. "You're always patrolling the skies aren't you?"

She turned back to the prince. "Rhaegar, come here!"

Looking a little uncertain, the prince walked forward and Ginny took his hand. "I'd like you to meet the eldest of our gryphons. He was also the first one I ever rode."

"I see," the Targaryen replied. "And where did you decide on a name like Buckbeak? It's certainly very original."

"An inside joke between my father and me," Ginny replied with a secret smile remembering the wild ride Sirius had taken on Buckbeak in order to escape from Hogwarts. The beloved Hippogriff had become very dear to Sirius in the months of his exile and when he was cooped up in Grimmauld Place.

In a way, giving a name to this character was a callback to nostalgia and the life she and Sirius had left behind.

The past might have been gone, but it was never forgotten.

"He's magnificent," Rhaegar whispered as the gryphon continued to gaze at him. "Will he grow any larger?"

"No," Ginny replied. "They will grow to be the size of a horse but no larger. Since Buckbeak is the eldest, this is as large as he will ever grow."

"Is riding him the same as riding a dragon?" Rhaegar asked.

Ginny shook her head. "I don't ride Buckbeak as much as Septimus but riding both of them is different for different reasons. Bucky here is much smaller than Septimus though he is just as proud. I happen to think that all winged creatures have a lot of arrogance."

Just then Buckbeak snorted as if he took issue with her statement and Ginny laughed. "I'm sorry Bucky, but its true."

The creature huffed again and then turned its attention back to Rhaegar.

Ginny looked back and forth between her secret betrothed and the gryphon. "You can pet him Rhaegar. Just make sure he sees what you're doing. If there's anything Bucky hates, its being surprised."

Rhaegar nodded before hesitantly stretching out his hand towards the white feathered eagle's head of the creature.

Buckbeak's eyes followed his hand for a moment before he surprised Rhaegar by lowering his head towards him as if he were bowing.

Rhaegar's eyes widened but he continued reaching until he was able to rest his hand atop the large head of the gryphon and move his fingers back and forth.

"Incredible," he whispered. "It seems I'm constantly being surprised around you Ginny."

"Well you should probably get used to it," the red head chuckled. "There's nothing predictable about being around me."

She meant it partly in jest and was thus surprised when Rhaegar turned to her and smiled. "I know."

"Your graces!" Abrien called from the helm. "We are nearing the city! You should prepare yourselves to disembark!"

"Thank you Abrien," Ginny called back and turned to Rhaegar with a large smile. "Welcome to Mereen my prince."

Ω

 _I wonder if they've left yet. Ginny said that the ship would be in the harbor before midday._

Sirius was finding it a little bit difficult to concentrate on his work as he knew today was the day that Ginny would be returning from King's Landing.

It would be nice to have her under their roof again even if he had a feeling that this would be the last block of consistent time they would have with her.

He had observed her closely when they were in King's Landing and he had seen her face when she had seen Prince Rhaegar for the first time.

Her expression had been both fearful and joyful as if she had been bracing herself to know that what she had seen was just a dream and when she had seen him, it had become achingly beautiful.

She was both sad and happy and sorrowful all at once because it was as if some of the pieces she had been struggling with had fallen into place for her.

She hadn't wanted to admit it but the vision she had had in the House of the Undying had affected her personally. As strong as Ginny was, Sirius had known there was still some part of her that wasn't as happy as she could be.

He had known right away that this was the man she would be marrying when he had seen her face. And he had hoped and prayed with everything he had that this prince would treat Ginny like the queen she was.

And despite his initial qualms, Sirius was slowly warming to the prince. He seemed like an intelligent, thoughtful and compassionate young man.

 _I wonder how long it is before I have grandchildren,_ he mused to himself with a smile. _Gin hasn't talked about it much but I always knew she wanted to be a mother._  
Just then there was the sound of a throat being cleared.

The Gryphon King looked up and bright smile came to his face when he saw his beautiful wife standing at the threshold.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I believe we should go down to the harbor with our retinue now darling," she said. "A ship bearing our sails has just come into the bay."

Sirius was on his feet in an instant. "She's back."

"Yes, she is."

"Well then," Sirius said striding over to the bed and taking up the cloak of the gryphon king. "I suppose we should go and greet our future good son."

"Sirius!" Vellaena said slapping his arm as if she were scandalized. "You don't know for certain if she is going to marry him!"

"Trust me my dear, its simply one of those things that I just know," Sirius said with a small smirk. "You wait and see. Before long we'll be in Westeros and I'll be walking her down an aisle in the Great Sept and giving her to Prince Rhaegar. Just you wait and see."

Ω

 **Whew! And I'm back! Sorry about the long wait guys and thank you very much for your patience as I went through work, exams and the holidays without having a lot of time to write. Don't worry, we will be hearing wedding bells before long but there's an adventure that I have planned for Ginny and Rhaegar in Essos that will be crucial to their life together. I hope you liked the chapter and don't forget to review!**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

As the ship continued its journey into Gryphon Bay and the harbor of Mereen beyond, Ginny found it difficult to keep the smile from her face as she looked at Rhaegar's reaction to it all.

He kept looking around with wide purple eyes as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Every so often his jaw would open and then close like he were about to say something and then thought better of it.

His main focus seemed to be the many pyramids that jutted up above the houses of the city in all of their vivid colorful glory.

She could almost see him wondering what it looked like inside of those pyramids and longing to see it all.

She reached down and slipped her hands into his. "Don't worry, there's plenty of time to see everything."

Rhaegar started slightly before giving her a gentle smile which lit up his whole face and set her heart to racing. "I certainly hope so. In my humble opinion it is a shame that I can't stay here longer. I've never been to Essos and its so different from anything that I'm used to."

Ginny smiled. "I might say the same thing about Westeros. We don't play as many power games here."

"Maybe that's why I already like it better," the blonde muttered and Ginny frowned at him. She was about to ask what he meant by that when all of a sudden a shout caught her attention.

"Your grace!"

The red head looked up to see that she was being signalled by the captain. "What it is Abrien?"

The dark haired man bore a small smile as he strode up to them. "I happened to glance through by spyglass and note that King Sirius and Queen Vellaena have made their way to the harbor and are waiting to greet us."

Ginny could feel a slow smile stretch across her face at the news. Though she could see Sirius whenever she wanted, there was something about coming to one's own home where she could see her adoptive father without it having to be so clandestine.

She was also looking forward to having Rhaegar around. There wouldn't be as many people to capture his attention here and a secret part of her enjoyed the idea of having him all to herself.

She had a feeling he would take a liking to the triplets as they weren't much younger than Viserys and as thoroughly precocious. Plus with the three of them she could see how he was with multiple children.

How he handled the prospect of that would be a good indicator for how he would be when they eventually married.

The red head glanced down at her feet in order to hide a blush.

The thought of having children with Rhaegar was a new one but it wasn't entirely unwelcome either.

She had always wanted to be a mother even though she had wanted to start a career first and now it seemed she had found the one man in this universe who wasn't a power hungry bastard because he had enough of it already and merely wanted to use it for good like she did.

Ginny allowed herself to imagine what a child shared between them would look like and then a moment later wanted to smack herself for the image of the little boy she had witnessed in the House of the Undying several years ago flashed through her mind.

 _He would naturally have Rhaegar's hair but my eyes,_ she thought to herself. _Although I suppose if the baby were to have my hair but Rhaegar's eyes that would be just as beautiful and perhaps even more striking._

She envisioned a child with dark red curls and the prince's deep violet eyes and let out a small sigh.

That would certainly be lovely.

She could feel Rhaegar's eyes on her in the next instant and was a little surprised when she felt him slip his hand into hers.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, eyes watching her face intently.

"The future," she answered vaguely. "I suddenly got this feeling that many wonderful things were going to happen and this was just the beginning of them."

Rhaegar then smiled down at her, a genuine smile that made her heart ship a beat for how real and beautiful it was. "Strangely enough I was having a similar thought."

"Oh? And what was your thought about?"

The prince glanced around the harbor and gestured to it with his hand. "The moment we sailed into this place, I began to think of the potential."

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Potential?"

"For my own kingdom," he replied. "Already I can tell how different this place is in comparison to King's Landing. There is no stink in the air, the water is so blue I imagine I could see clear to the bottom of it. I see people lined up on the docks and the streets to welcome us and they looked well cared for. I don't see any beggars and there is an air of euphoria that I sense. That is what I want people to see when they sail into the harbor in Westeros."

Ginny glanced to the shoreline and saw that he was right. Even on the docks that protruded from the shore out into the water, she could see sailors and deckhands standing in awaiting their ship.

If she looked farther back, she suddenly became aware of a sea of black and gold banners being waved.

No doubt Sirius had made it known that she would be arriving today and so people had had time to prepare.

That didn't mean that she wasn't touched by the gesture however.

"I wonder where King Sirius is," she heard Rhaegar mutter and immediately the red head placed a hand over her eyes to block the glare of the sun as she searched the crowd for her adoptive father.

Just then there was the sharp sound of a trumpet blast which only intensified the cheers coming from the shore.

"I believe I just found him," Ginny replied to her betrothed with a small smile.

Like a wave parting to either side, a path through the crowd suddenly cleared and the red head saw the familiar forms of the Creed striding towards the docks. She squinted and caught sight of the golden winged crown through the mass of bodies and her grin only got bigger.

What caught her by surprise was the silver crown striding along next to it which was identical to the gold one but only smaller.

Vellaena was here too?

It wasn't as if she was excited to see her stepmother but Ginny hadn't expected to see her down at the docks.

 _Sirius probably put no end of wards around the triplets so nothing would happen to them,_ she thought to herself. _And I know Vellaena trusts Alenya with her life so nothing will happen to them._

Alenya was her stepmother's personal maid servant, someone the queen had personally freed and whom had pledged to serve her. She was like a lioness when left in charge of the triplets and Ginny knew for a fact that the necklace she wore was a portkey that would spirit her and the boys away from any harm should the worst happen.

 _They are most likely with her._

Cries of the _Gryphon King_ could now be heard and Ginny bit down on the edge of her lip to keep herself from smiling too much.

Finally the circle of guards passed through the crowd altogether and came to a stop at the edge of the dock.

Ginny could see Rasheev, one of the Creed her father had appointed to hold the position of captain while Orius was with her in Westeros at the front of the column.

When the royal party had come to a complete stop, Rasheev pounded the butt of the spear he was holding against the wood of the dock and then something

Ginny had seen before but which would have been shocking to Rhaegar happened.

Immediately all chants ceased, the general noises of the crowd vanished and then almost as one body everyone gathered dropped to one knee, a fist pressed over their chest, head bowed in a sort of salute to the royal party.

It became infinitely harder for Ginny to keep the smile from her face then.

Wondering what the prince would think of such a display as she couldn't really see the people of King's Landing doing such a thing for Aerys, she glanced up at Rhaegar's face.

Again, it was one of those rare moments when she wished there was a camera present.

The prince's eyebrows had shot to his hairline and his mouth was open slightly as he gazed at the scene before him.

The docks and the surrounding market place had gone utterly quiet and the only sound was the wind snapping the gryphon banners two and fro.

The only two people standing on the shoreline were the king and queen in all their finery. Sirius was dressed in his traditional black and gold robes, but

Vellaena looked like a vision in a long dress of silvery shimmery material that looked equal parts silk and Myrish lace. Her long black curls were left alone and hanging almost to her waist and nestled in the tresses was the silver winged crown which fanned back against her temples.

But unlike the diadem of the king, hers was made entirely of diamonds which sparkled and shone in the light of the midday sun causing a bright reflection.

"Prepare to disembark!" Captain Abrien bellowed from the helm and Ginny blinked tugging slightly at her dress. She wasn't wearing a crown but neither was the prince who was sporting his house colors the same way she was.

Ginny turned to him with a bright smile. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Rhaegar replied. "How hard will it be to impress your father? I do hope to marry his only daughter after all."

Ginny smiled. "He's rough around the edges but you know that already. He knows how to play hard ball and he's not easily intimidated. His respect is earned but once you have it, you'll never lose it. And he will respect my choice. I feel as if when he was in Westeros you were one of the few people who did have his respect."

Rhaegar raised an eyebrow at her. "Well that's somewhat comforting."

"Good," Ginny replied. "Because we will be putting that knowledge to the test in a moment."

A second after she said the words there was a tell tale thump and the red head knew it was the sound of the hull of the ship hitting the dock.

The harbor itself was naturally deep enough for a ship to come right to the edge of the shoreline without running aground.

The red head held out her hand to Rhaegar. "Come on then, its time to meet my family."

He glanced at her and grinned. "Somehow I have a feeling this is going to be less tense than when you met mine."

"Maybe," Ginny smirked. "But give it time."

Leaving the prince with that ominous and amusing sentiment she took his arm and the two strode toward the gangplank.

Oddly enough the crowd that had gathered to meet the royal princess was strangely and largely quiet. It was a little intimidating for Ginny so she didn't even want to imagine how it felt for Rhaegar, a foreigner.

She quickly cast her eyes sideways at him as they descended the gangplank and onto the dock but his expression gave nothing away other than a otherworldly calmness.

The red head was also barely aware that the Creed was following them but her mind didn't linger on them much. She was too focused on her family who was waiting for her at the other end of the dock.

"Gods has the entire city turned out to welcome you back?" Rhaegar muttered. "My father would never be able to inspire a crowd like this."

"My father must have announced something," Ginny said. "I don't think anyone who lives outside of the Great Pyramid would know I was arriving today."

"King Sirius certainly likes to make an entrance doesn't he?" Rhaegar answered and Ginny smirked. "He's always been that way even before I was born.

Before he became a king he was quite the trickster and loved attention and although the first part has mostly gone away, the second hasn't as much."

Something about Rhaegar's face after that made Ginny wonder if he was a little intimidated. But she decided not to address it and in doing so shame him and simply tightened her hand on his arm.

She glanced back to find Ser Arthur striding along next to the Creed, his violet eyes darting about for any sign of a threat and smiled to herself. Mereen was probably safer than King's Landing so he wouldn't have to worry as much about hidden threats. The people here weren't desperate. There were many who were not well to do but there were very few beggars in the capital city of the Essosi Empire.

The couple strode down the dock towards the end where the king and queen were waiting to greet them and as they neared Ginny began to smile. Sirius didn't but Ginny could tell from the sparkle in his eyes that he was trying to hold back.

Vellaena however had no such qualms as her smile seemed to grow even wider as Ginny neared and the red head found herself returning it.

She had missed her step mother greatly and her adopted brothers even though they weren't here right now. Vellaena would never replace Molly Weasley but she had filled an aching desperate void in Ginny's heart for a mothering figure these last few years and she was the closest thing Ginny had left to a mother.

And at the sight of her, the red head felt a lump begin to gather in her throat. There was much she talked about with Vellaena that she couldn't talk about with Sirius. Her budding relationship with Rhaegar would no doubt be a topic of conversation once they were alone.

At the moment, no one but Rhaegar herself and Rhaella knew that they intended to be married but that would change throughout the course of this visit. So long as Aerys didn't know that he was the last to know all would be well.

Finally the young couple came to a halt before the king and queen who were flanked on almost all sides by members of the Creed who had remained in Essos.

"Father," Ginny said with a grateful smile.

"Daughter," the Gryphon king replied. "It is good to see you after all this time."

At that point Ginny thought to herself _let public opinion and royal etiquette be damned_ and threw her arms around her adoptive father's neck.

Sirius stiffened for a moment as if he were surprised by the gesture but then returned the embrace fiercely, holding her so tight that she thought her ribs might crack.

Given the roar of approval from the crowd this gesture had been exactly what they were expecting to see.

"Welcome back sweetling," Sirius whispered in her ear and Ginny blinked hard, cursing the stinging in the corners of her eyes.

Finally they pulled back and Ginny turned to Vellaena who it seemed had made no such compromise to herself to stave off tears as her eyes were glassy.

In order to save her dignity and Ginny's own, the red head reached out and gathered the brunette into her arms.

"I missed you darling," the queen whispered and Ginny squeezed her eyes shut, breathing in her step mother's familiar scent.

"I missed you too," the red head whispered back. "Its good to be home again."

After their tearful embrace had concluded Ginny stepped back and blinked hard a few times to ensure that her eyes were clear before turning to the prince beside her who was eyeing her with some concern.

"Mother," she said addressing Vellaena. "Allow me to introduce you to Prince Rhaegar."

As if on cue the blonde bowed smartly. "Your grace."

"Prince Rhaegar," Vellaena murmured. "A pleasure to meet you."

"Welcome to Mereen Prince Rhaegar," Sirius mumbled. "I trust you will enjoy your time here. Shall we retire to the pyramid?"

Without even waiting for the prince to answer he turned and taking Vellaena's arm strode back through the crowd with the Creed following him.

Both Ginny and Rhaegar followed him as the crowd was parted by the guard to ensure the peasantry didn't come too close.

Given that when she and Sirius had first arrived in King's Landing, they had had to walk to the capital, the red head was a little surprised when up ahead didn't immediately appear a litter.

Instead what appeared up ahead was something she hadn't expected to ever see in Essos.

Two chariots were standing in the clearing about ten feet from the dock and in the middle of the harbor. One was painted gold and the other was black in honor of the Gryffindor players and the horses harnessed to them were utterly magnificent beasts. They were a mixture of black and tan roan stallions stamping their feet and shaking their manes proudly in the hot Essosi breeze.

"Its been a very long time since I've seen one of these," Rhaegar muttered next to her. "Chariots are never used in Westeros. But we have heard of their existence."

"Why is that?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not sure," the crown prince replied. "My father has not gone out into the streets for over a decade and as such he has not allowed my mother to either.

When Viserys was born he demanded that his line remain protected so my brother has not either. The only member of the royal family who has gone out into the streets is myself and that was always in disguise. Chariots in the past were used for ceremonial purposes and since my brother's birth there hasn't really been much to celebrate."

Ginny smiled up at him. "Hopefully there will be something to recognize in the near future."

His answering smile was like sunshine. "Aye, there will be."

Sirius led Vellaena to the golden colored chariot leaving the black one to Ginny and Rhaegar who moved towards it.

As they passed a particular conglomerate of women, their whispers could be overheard which was cause enough for Ginny to smile.

"I had heard stories but I never knew he was so beautiful," one of the girls said dreamily. "The princess truly is a lucky woman."

"What do you mean lucky?" one of the other women asked. "The princess is an ideal catch for any man. Her looks are from the gods themselves. They appear almost heavenly together."

Ginny cast her eyes up at the prince and was surprised to see a slight pink tinge to his cheeks that hadn't been there before betraying that he too had overheard the conversation.

"After you," he murmured as they reached the chariot and Ginny smiled before raising the hem of her dress and stepping into the chariot behind the driver.

Rhaegar leapt lightly up onto the platform a second after.

"I must confess, I'm not sure what to do," he whispered to Ginny as their driver, a man in a long tan tunic with short sleeves took hold of the reins. "Where do I hold?"

"Take you right hand and place it on the side of the chariot," Ginny whispered back. "Always keep one hand free so you can wave to the crowd.

Acknowledging them will earn you their respect. Interaction is something my family values and if the public feels as if they have some role to play in this empire they will adore you all the more."

Rhaegar nodded and then stepped into the chariot behind her, spreading his feet about shoulder width apart to brace himself and placed one hand on the left side of the chariot.

Ginny looked ahead to Sirius who was watching them waiting to ensure that they were ready and nodded.

By this time, the Creed had mounted the horses that had been brought and Orius reined in his steed ahead of both of the royal chariots and with two short sharp commands in High Valyrian directed his men into two lines in front and back of the chariots in equal measure.

The driver of the king's chariot tapped the back of the stallions harnessed to the craft with his whip and within a few seconds the two machines were moving into the city streets.

Ginny kept her hand raised and a smile on her face as she looked from left to right. Just to the left and behind them she could see Ser Arthur following, his eyes too constantly roving about looking for threats.

She couldn't tell if he was impressed or not by the differences between Mereen and King's Landing or if he was just managing the crowd. Perhaps it was a bit of both.

The red head leaned over to Rhaegar and gestured to one of the structures off in the distance. "Do you see that pyramid?"

The prince squinted in the direction to which she was referring and nodded. "The slightly discolored pyramid nearest to us on the opposite side of the Great Pyramid?"

"Yes," Ginny replied. "That one is where the Creed are housed and have been for the last several hundred years. I've never been inside myself but Orius told me it is a place of quiet and meditation. In fact I did some digging into the history of the Creed and discovered that just as they always keep their faces hidden, no one ever speaks in that place either. They seem to operate on the assumption that life should be dictated by actions rather than words and so silence allows them to see the thoughts and intentions of others."

"That sounds most pragmatic," the prince observed.

"It is very philosophical," Ginny agreed. "But I can't help but admire it in some ways."

The two chariots took a turn into the city streets and for the first time faced the bulk of the crowd who lined the streets. A great cheer went up upon the sighting of the princess and the red head raised her hand to wave at the civilians they passed.

She noticed a cluster of women bunched together on the corner of one of the streets whispering together, their eyes glued to Rhaegar who was doing his best to imitate her.

She couldn't blame them. She was by far one of the most beautiful men she had ever seen, that sort of beauty could and should command the attention of nearly everyone around him.

But here there would be no one with power to try and snag her prince's attentions.

A small smirk colored her smile as she imagined all the lovely experiences they were going to have in Essos. Dragon riding would be only one of their activities. There was nothing quite like riding a horse up and down the sand dunes of the Dothraki Sea or exploring the exotic markets of Qarth or sailing in the Jade Sea.

And she intended to do it all.

"Has the entire city turned out to welcome us?" Rhaegar asked. "And if so, how many people are here? Mereen is larger than King's Landing yes?"

"It is," Ginny replied. "Most are going to be naturally curious about you and others simply turn up whenever my father makes a public appearance."

"He certainly is beloved by the people isn't he?" Rhaegar observed.

Ginny glanced ahead of them towards the chariot her father and step mother were riding in and smiled as she saw him wave to the crowd on his left and right in a consistent manner with roars of approval in between.

"That he is," she murmured.

"I wonder if I will see the day when a Targaryen will be welcomed home like that," the prince said in an almost wistful manner and Ginny glanced at him, puzzled. She wondered for a brief moment if he envied Sirius' popularity and then brushed the thought aside.

Rhaegar would be no doubt looking to restore the respectability of the Targaryens in Westeros much less their home city. She had a feeling that he would be looking to see how Sirius ruled his empire in such a way that caused the people to love him.

And if he was paying more attention to Sirius over the next three months than he would be paying less attention to his father, which was a win for the both of them.

As far as Ginny was concerned, this was the perfect time for Rhaegar to soak up everything he could learn from Sirius in the time that he was here.

The more he became like him, the less chance there was for him to retain any facet of his father's personality.

But given what she had seen from the prince in the last three months, Rhaegar was far more like his mother than he ever was like his father.

And seeing as how Ginny had warmed up to the queen considerably in the last little while, she was feeling even more optimistic.

Rhaegar in the meantime had allowed himself a private look at queen Vellaena. He found himself comparing her to his mother in features and then decided that there was nothing similar about them at all.

The queen of the Gryphon Empire was certainly as beautiful as his mother and yet there was a fierce glint in her eye when she had first seen him and Ginevra together. Her eyes had brightened upon seeing her daughter but when they had glanced at him they had narrowed slightly as if she were sizing him up.

Rhaegar had never seen golden eyes like that and even though Ginny's were blue he could certainly see where she had gotten her beauty from. Vellaena Gryffindor was a stunning woman. The closeness between her and the king and the fact that they had been holding hands when he had first seen them betrayed that they were a love match far more than a political one.

Seeing a man as powerful as the Gryphon so obviously in love with his queen, the woman he had chosen, gave Rhaegar hope for the future.

A warm wind blew and he pulled absently at the collar of his tunic. The excitement of seeing Mereen for the first time had distracted him from realizing how hot he was.

He had lived in the south all of his life and was used to the constant warmth but the sheer heat of Essos was unlike anything he had felt before. It had hit him like a brick wall when they had first touched down beneath the golden sun in Gryphon Bay.

 _Perhaps it would have been a better idea to wear less clothing,_ he thought wryly rubbing the side of his face.

Just then, the two chariots turned a corner in the wide streets and that was when the prince got his first good look at the Great Mereen.

Gods what a sight that was.

The whole thing glistened like a cataract of gold in the bright sunlight and sitting atop the pyramid, most likely to be seen for miles around was an enormous golden gryphon.

Rhaegar had read once that the symbol of the harpy had been sitting atop the pyramid but on the very day the Gryffindors had arrived in the city they had torn it down and replaced it with the effigy of their house.

He smiled, knowing that that symbol must be a source of comfort for all in the city who knew that the king protected them all.

And then he frowned, speaking of protection….

"There was something I meant to ask you," he whispered to the princess and she looked up at him. "What was that?"

"On your first day in King's Landing at the feast when we were walking in the gardens you told me that you intended to take some of the children you had seen in an orphanage into your service and that they would be leaving with your father to serve the Gryphon Empire. Has that occurred."

Ginevra's face brightened exponentially. "It has. Before he came back to Mereen, my father took three boys and three girls from the orphanage to serve in the palace. In one of his letters he informed me that my mother has taken it upon herself to teach them to read and write. They will have more opportunities to succeed if they are literate. He hopes that one of the boys that I took a liking to, Jaeson by name will be trained as he grows, perhaps becoming a member of the Creed when he is older. One of the other boys whose name is Qaden has already shown an interest in becoming a smith and my father has seen to it that he has been placed with the palace blacksmith. And the last boy, one called Marev appears to enjoy reading and writing so much that my father jokes he has the makings of a scribe or a steward. So he has been spending his time with Gulian, the steward of the pyramid learning as much as he can."

"And the girls?" the prince asked.

"They will be serving my mother until further notice," the red head explained. "She hopes that some will become healers when they are older and have received the necessary training."

"It still amazes me that there are so many children in my city who have yet to receive attention like this," the prince said. "I hope there will come a day in my rule where every child is given equal opportunity to succeed."

"Perhaps that is something that we should discuss," Ginny mused. "I have a few ideas already."

Rhaegar smirked at her. "Of course you do."

At that moment, the chariots drew to a halt and the royal couple found themselves at the gilded gates framed by the high stone walls leading into the Great Pyramid.

Ginny sighed. "It's good to be home."

Ω

Surprisingly enough, it was Sirius who volunteered to show Rhaegar around the pyramid while Vellaena took Ginny's arm and led her off into the gardens so the two could speak.

When Ginny had first seen her step mother and see her rounding stomach she had been hard pressed to keep from squealing.

Now in the privacy of their own home and gardens with no one else but the guards around, the red head took a moment to be silly and grabbed the other woman's hands, practically dancing around as she let out a shriek of glee while Vellaena laughed.

"Careful darling, you'll spook the birds in the trees," she said in her usual gentle voice once Ginny had gotten herself under control.

"I know, I'm sorry," the red head said as she caught her breath. "I'm just so excited. Another sibling. I always wanted a big family and now I have it again."

Vellaena got a slightly pained look on her face. "I had thought about that during this pregnancy. You had six older brothers before the tragedy."

Ginny sobered instantly. Vellaena knew a bit about the Weasleys but it was as much as Sirius wanted her to know. She thought that Sirius had been married before and that Molly Weasley was his wife and that Ginny's six brothers were all of his sons.

Perhaps time would allow them to tell her the full truth.

But not now.

"Yes," Ginny replied soberly. "But I know my mother and brothers would want me to be happy. And we are building another family here. So I am."

Vellaena nodded and took her hand as they walked amongst the trees of the exotic garden. "Good. Your happiness is all I want. And you certainly seem to be in the company of Prince Rhaegar."

The subject change worked wonders and Ginny felt her cheeks instantly heat. "Yes….he is….very different than what I expected."

"I can see that," the queen said. "Lord Baratheon's description did not do him justice. He is exquisite."

Ginny smirked. "He is. And I'm afraid I've offended quite a few noble girls by coming to Westeros and daring to steal the attentions of their precious prince."

Vellaena raised an eyebrow at her as they paused beneath the shade of a large sycamore tree to sit on the marble bench. "You certainly seem to be pleased with yourself."

"Not necessarily pleased, but satisfied," Ginny explained. "Rhaegar and I have spent a lot of time together in the last three months and I believe I know his heart and mind better which is a relief. I didn't want to marry a man I didn't know. And he is more like his mother than he is like his father."

Privately Ginny had been afraid that she would be heading into a relationship with a Draco Malfoy like character but Rhaegar was continuing to prove her wrong every day.

"And you took him for a ride on Septimus," Vellaena prompted with a smile. "How did he take to that?"

"Surprised at first," Ginny said. "But I expected that. I think he was more in awe and a state of wonder than anything else. We were away for the whole day from everyone else and spent it mostly talking and learning about the other. It was….well it was sublime."

"Good," Vellaena said. "I saw the closeness of the two of you when you got off the ship to meet us and I wondered. He certainly seems drawn to you."

"Hopefully that continues," Ginny murmured feeling the blood rush to her cheeks.

"Keep things as natural as possible," Vellaena advised sagely. "Don't try to force anything. There are bound to be elements of your lives that you will not hold in common. But those differences will give you perspective about the other. One of the key parts of marriage is being able to understand the other person as well as yourself."

"We're not married yet," Ginny pointed out.

Now it was Vellaena's turn to smirk. "No…but when your father returned from Westeros I had a feeling that after this six month period we would be hearing the announcement of nuptials. I may not be your mother Ginevra but I like to think I do know you reasonably well. During your brief visits here from King's Landing there was something about your face that I had never seen before."

"And what's that?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Peace."

A long silence followed this observation as the red head searched for words.

Fortunately she didn't have to as a moment later, the sound of footsteps on the tiles of the garden caused her to look up.

To her surprise, she saw Sirius and Rhaegar approaching with Ser Arthur and some of the Creed behind them.

Rhaegar was glancing at Sirius every so often as if trying to assess his mood whilst the king's eyes were glued to Vellaena. There was an intensity about him that Ginny had only seen when they had been riding to battle Drogo and his forty thousand blood riders. And there was something in his hand. It almost appeared to be a letter.

 _Oh no…..what's happened now?_

"What is it my love?" Vellaena asked in concern as the two men came to a stop in front of them. "Is something wrong?"

Surprisingly it was Rhaegar who answered. "The king has received a rather unexpected letter your grace. Its contents are….perplexing."

Ginny exchanged glanced with her step mother. "What do you mean? Who is it from?"

Rhaegar glanced at Sirius again before the king handed the letter to the silver haired prince wordlessly.

"It concerns the two of us Ginny," he said lowering his voice and Ginny's eyes narrowed. "Go on."

Rhaegar cleared his throat and then simply handed the parchment over. It bore an unfamiliar seal with the effigy of a black wing pressed into the orange wax.

 _I don't think I've ever seen that seal before,_ the red head thought to herself. _Who on earth is this from?_

The flowery writing caught her attention right away.

 _To the most esteemed Gryphon Princess and Dragon Prince_

 _I am Qassian, High Priest of the City of the Winged Men. Your arrival in our most beauteous continent is fortuitous indeed. It would be the delight of myself and the patrons of this great city to host our royal princess and the dragon prince for a time. This letter may come as a surprise as we of this noble city have remained silent since the fall of the Ghiscari Empire.  
_

 _But before you decide this brief note is better suited for the fire, I would encourage you to think carefully about our invitation. It would be in your best interests to come. Your visions of the last few years are of particular interest to us Princess. The interpretation you seek for one in particular lies here….and here only.  
_

 _I bid you carefully consider a course of action. Ignorance will only delay the inevitable.  
Sending our most esteemed regards…._

Ginny looked up from the letter and searched the eyes of her father and Rhaegar in bewilderment. "The City of the Winged Men? Isn't that city supposed to be a myth?"

"I am finding that many myths have become real in the last few months?" Rhaegar muttered.

Vellaena who had been reading over Ginny's shoulder looked at her husband in alarm. "What on earth could they possibly want with our daughter and the prince?"

Ginny glanced down at the letter again and glanced at Rhaegar. She wondered if he had read it and if he had, what he would make of those visions.

There would be a time coming when she would have to tell him about them that was certain.

But for now…..

 _How could they possibly know about my dreams?_ She wondered frantically. _Other than the two people standing in front of me…no one else knows about then!_

A rare moment of panic started to overtake her before she took a deep breath and swallowed it. No…No it wouldn't do to become anxious now.

But as she looked into Rhaegar's eyes, Ginny could tell he was just as bewildered as she was.

And just as things were beginning to feel normal again, something would occur to throw her life into the blender.

But just as she had realized when she had awakened in that cage next to Missandei what seemed like a lifetime ago…..Ginny knew that life would never be normal again.

Ω

 **Well...this is a bit awkward. I could make the excuse that life has been incredibly annoying in dragging me away from my computer these last few months what with school work and family events but I wont. So instead I'll just say I'm sorry for this chapter that is six months late. I've been having a lot of writer's block lately that's why this chapter is so short but I did try to end on a mysterious note. The City of the Winged Men has always fascinated me, namely because there's so little information on it and it's name alone just screams stories. Ginny and Rhaegar will be heading there for even more mystery in the coming chapters. Don't forget to review. If you must scream at me in the comments for this extremely late chapter well then feel free to do so. Also don't forget to review!**


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

"I don't know if this is such a good idea," Rhaegar said later that evening.

Currently they were standing in the upper corridors of the Great Pyramid on one of the balconies over looking the city. The sun was beginning to set over the ocean and its dying light had lit all of the buildings in a dusky gold and rose hue that was absolutely stunning. The ships had been docked for the night and even from this great distance he could see merchants taking down the canvas's over their booths in the marketplaces.

The general hustle and bustle of the city had come to an end for the day and Ginny loved watching the gradual slowing of movement and action until suddenly and almost all at once, the city went to sleep.

As Mereen ceased its activity however, the hustle and bustle of the Great Pyramid was only beginning.

A lavish feast had been arranged in honor of the arrival of Prince Rhaegar and the guests were just beginning to arrive now. Apparently Sirius had sent the invitations several weeks earlier allowing the necessary nobles and ladies to make the journey.

The sound of tambourines, harps and lyres could be heard from below them and if they were to walk back through the archway into the pyramid itself they would be confronted with a long square inner balcony that looked down into the enormous throne room which was ablaze with light and people dressed in exotic clothes.

Sirius and Vellaena hadn't arrived yet as the king was meeting Gulian before the feast and Vellaena had disappeared somewhere for the afternoon, citing a need to think.

Now that she thought of it, her stepmother had been acting very strange since they had received that letter.

The party couldn't officially begin until the royal guests arrived after all and the upper chambers had been placed off limits by intimidating members of the Creed.

Ginny wasn't worried about showing up on time to the feast however. She had been to so many since they had moved into the Great Pyramid that it was almost ritualistic at this point.

She could tell that Rhaegar wouldn't mind skipping it either but for the sake of appearances, they were obligated to show up at least for a little while.

For the moment however, they were simply killing time until the king and queen chose to arrive.

The sky itself had turned a lovely periwinkle blue, the same color dress she was wearing right now and clouds in hazy azure grip were fashioned in such a way that they almost looked as if they were rippling.

Ginny was suddenly possessed of the wonder that this was what it must have been look like to be deep underwater and looking up at the surface and the light of the sun beyond.

Rhaegar too had been admiring the view but not much had been said about the strange events of the afternoon after they had arrived at the Great Pyramid.

Until now that was.

"I don't either," Ginny said. "And if it were anyone else, talking about anything else I would think that it is a load of nonsense. But the words in that letter and especially from the place its' being sent….I think if I don't go…I'm going to regret it."

"I was afraid you would say that," the blonde sighed. "Might I ask what was in that letter that disturbed you so much?"

Ginny sighed. She was grateful he had refrained from asking about the contents of the message until she had time to think about it herself. But she had come to no true conclusions about how they knew about her dreams either which made the situation all the more frustrating.

"The only others who know about this are my mother and father," she said slowly and twisted her hands together. "I've never told anyone else because it's never been necessary for anyone else to know. However a few years ago, before all of this," she made a grand sweeping gesture about the pyramid and the city, "I was troubled by a series of dreams. I didn't know the source or the place for them but they simply kept coming, every night with the same events and vivid nature."

"What were they about?" Rhaegar asked, eyes narrowed slightly.

It was a comfort to Ginny that he seemed as intensely interested about her past as he did about her future and present. It reminded her that she seemed to have found one of the rare good men in this world who genuinely cared about her and what was going on in her heart. Whenever she spoke with him, she didn't have to worry about whether or not he was listening, he had a habit of making her feel as if she had his full attention whenever she opened her mouth.

He was going to be a good king.

"Well," she began, "they would always start in the same way. I would open my eyes and be standing in a long stone hallway with a torch in my hand. There would be nowhere else I could go so I started walking forward. It began to be very hot and then all of a sudden a dim light would appear up ahead.

"I would hurry towards it and then find myself on the threshold of a large doorway opening into another room also made of stone. It was completely circular and in the center of it was a tall stone altar. It was shaped like an octagon and on the opposite side of the room were seven doors leading to parts unknown."

"Go on," Rhaegar said.

"I chose the middle door and when I opened it, I felt a blast of cold air making me believe that I was free. It wasn't until I stepped through the door and pulled it shut that I realized I had entered another chamber. Actually it wasn't so much a chamber as it was…." She trailed off then, a sudden realization coming over her, something she had forgotten about but only remembered now."

Her face must have been a sight for Rhaegar reached over and took her hand. "Ginny? Are you alright?"

"Yes I," she paused. How could she have forgotten that detail. "I just remembered something…something important."

"What is it?" the prince asked.

The red head took a deep breath. "I was standing in a magnificent throne room. It was enormous and had thick tall pillars to hold up the ceiling on either side of the room, three on the right and three on the left. At least….it must have been magnificent once."

"Once?"

"I was looking at a ruin," Ginny said softly, the memories washing over her like waves now. "I could tell that something horrible had happened there as there was not a soul in sight. I continued looking around and noticed that at the far end of the room, high up on the wall was a window. It's glass was stained and upon it there was the effigy of a seven pointed star fashioned out of iron. Situated beneath this was a raised dais….and upon that dais…was a throne."

She glanced up at Rhaegar then and saw that his handsome face had gone pale and he had grown very still.

"Go on Ginevra," he whispered.

At the use of her full name, a chill descended upon the red head and when she spoke again, it was in a voice as soft as fresh fallen snow.

"The entire roof of the throne room had been torn open in places leaving gaping holes as if some sort of monster had swept down, taken hold of the roof in its talons and rent it in two. I wondered then why it was so cold but it wasn't until I walked down into the throne room that I realized that falling through the roof and coating every available surface was a blanket of fresh fallen snow."

"And there was not a soul in sight?" Rhaegar asked.

"Not one," Ginny replied.

"The prince seemed to be processing this like a man who was trying to convince himself of some impossible truth. The struggle must have been evident on his face for when Ginny didn't speak he looked up from the railing of the balcony. "And then?"

"I walked towards the throne and I remember thinking that I had never seen such a hideous looking chair in my life. It was clearly meant for a conqueror and appeared as cruel and empty as the rest of the throne room."

"And was it made of melted down swords by any chance?" Rhaegar asked, his violet eyes boring into hers."

"It was."

The prince dropped his head and said nothing for a long moment. His hands tightened and then loosened a few times before he folded them together.

"Please continue," he said when he realized Ginny was eying him with concern.

"Very well," she said. "I suddenly began to feel a strong pull towards the throne, the source of which I had no idea. I reached out a hand towards it as I had drawn very near and I only stopped when all of a sudden, there came from behind me…a noise."

Slowly Rhaegar raised his eyes to hers. "What was the source?"

Ginny took a deep breath. "Standing a few feet behind me was a hideous creature….something out of a child's nightmare maybe. It was taller than me and its flesh was cadaverous giving the appearance of a living corpse with all of its skin fused to its bones with no flesh underneath. It had no hair but there appeared to be a crown upon its head but upon closer inspection I realized that the spires of the crown were coming right out of its skin. It had an expression of utter malic upon its face. It had icy blue eyes far brighter than my own and unnatural."

"And then?"

"I took a step towards me and I backed up until I was against the throne. I remember dropping the torch. It then uttered a curious screech and it moved closer until it was standing right in front of me. It reached out a hand towards me and I squeezed my eyes shut. And then another noise, a clanging one, jarred them open."

"What was it?" Rhaegar asked.

"I looked behind me and saw a sword sitting upon the throne. It is the same sword my father carried into battle when we were conquering this continent and the same sword he wielded when we fought the Dothraki. It was the sword of our house, the sword of Godric Gryffindor."

"And what did you do with it?" Rhaegar asked. His eyes were curiously bright and while it might have been from the light of the torches that in their braziers on the walls by the balcony or the light of the dying sun, Ginny thought it was something else.

"Without even having to think, I reached behind me, seized the sword and ran it through the creature's chest with all my might. And the moment this happened, the monster shattered into a million pieces…almost as if it were made of glass."

"You killed it," Rhaegar said softly. His eyes were wide as if he were in shock. "You killed it with a Valyrian sword."

"Yes," Ginny said. "But my victory proved to be short lived."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"When I looked around me again, I was suddenly confronted with over a dozen sets of glowing eyes around the throne room rising from piles on the floor.

They were all carrying weapons which seemed to be made of glass and as they started towards me I was sure I was going to die. But then…then there was a terrible roar and a thunderous crash overhead. I looked up…and that was when I saw a fully grown dragon hovering over the ruins. It roared again and I suddenly saw the white scales and wings."

"Septimus," Rhaegar breathed.

"Yes," Ginny whispered. "He fixed me with his large golden eyes and then he turned his head towards the army of monsters in front of me. And then he opened his enormous jaws and released a torrent of white flames that was so bright and so hot that I was afraid I would go blind. And then…."

"And then?" Rhaegar asked almost impatiently. "Then what happened?"

"Then I woke up," Ginny said shrugging her shoulders. "I flew up from the bed, heart pounding, panting for breath."

Rhaegar was silent for a good long while and Ginny began to wonder where his mind was. He stared out across the city with the intense focus of someone who was thinking long and hard about something of great importance.

He ran a hand through his hair a few times and tapped the railing with his fingernails as if impatient and then finally, finally he turned to her.

"It was the throne room in the Red Keep wasn't it?" he asked and she nodded. "I believe so. The throne and the window above it certainly look like a match."

"And the creature?" he asked. "Can you remember anything else about what it looked like?"

"That's all," the red head said. "I remember his face and his body and his crown of ice spires but that it all. Why do you ask?"

Rhaegar appeared to be wrestling with himself for a moment. Finally he reached the end of his inner tug of war and turned to her. "Have you heard of the Long Night?"

Ginny nodded, feeling a chill across her skin like an icy finger had trailed lingeringly across it. "I've read about it. There isn't a great deal of information here in the east but I have read what I can."

Rhaegar nodded and ran a hand through his hair again. He seemed quite shaken and Ginny reached out and took his hand prompting him to give her a small smile. He threaded his fingers through hers and glanced down at their conjoined hands as if they fascinated him.

"The Long Night is a myth in Westeros," he began. "A tale spun by the First Men. After all, no one has seen any of these creatures in thousands of years and no one is interested in what lies beyond the Wall other than the Night's Watch. Even the northmen have stopped caring."

He paused then and looked up at her. "But no one has seen dragons or magic in hundreds of years either. They were thought to be extinct as well, magic gone from the world. However I can't help but wonder…if dragons are real…and magic has returned to the world…how many other things are true too?"

The chill had spread from Ginny's bare arms to her shoulders and down her back now and she shook herself slightly.

"But it was just a dream," she said almost helplessly. "Wasn't it?"

Rhaegar gave her a severe look. "There is nothing "just" about a dream to a Targaryen Ginny. My family survived the Doom because of a dream, remember?"

She did. Daenys the Dreamer had been the one to bring her family to Dragonstone after a vision had told her of the Doom. She was the reason the dragonlords still existed.

"So what to I do?" she asked.

"What do _we_ do?" Rhaegar corrected her gently. "I'm coming with you. This concerns me as well. What you saw was far too vivid to be any normal dream and for your mind to simply conceive of a being you have never seen before is almost unheard of. No…you had this dream for a reason Ginny. And if its an omen of things that could happen…"

All of a sudden Ginny wanted to scream. Why was life so complicated?

"We should make some time to return to Westeros and do some digging," Rhaegar said, already beginning to plan. There are several maesters in Old Town that I need to speak to and perhaps an expedition north to speak with Lord Stark. We will also need to – "

Ginny interrupted him by placing a hand on his chest. "All of that is good. But first we need to ensure that what I saw will indeed come true. Was it a dream?

Or an omen of things to come? And we will not know the truth until we speak with my father and mother and then make plans to travel to the City of the Winged Men. They wouldn't have issued this invitation unless they knew something that we didn't. And their knowledge of my vision is telling. You're right…we need to go."

"Need to go where?" asked a familiar voice.

Both prince and princess started and looked up to see Sirius and Vellaena standing at the balcony threshold arm in arm. Sirius was dressed in a deep golden tunic that shone like burnished gold in the light of the dying sun. Vellaena was dressed in black but the gown had deep golden threads woven into the fabric in elaborate patterns. Her hair was off her shoulders and piled atop her head. Embedded in those tresses were small golden butterflies and long golden earrings hung from her ears.

Sirius was wearing his ceremonial crown of four gryphon feathers and in his hands were bedecked with jewels. His hair was oiled and gleaming and for a moment Ginny wondered whether or not he had thought about having his portrait done. The legacy of House Gryffindor needed to be remembered after all.

Upon seeing them, Rhaegar straightened cleared his throat prompting Ginny to hide a smile behind her hand.

It was amusing how stiff and formal Rhaegar was around Sirius and Vellaena but she knew that had much to do with a desire to impress them and it endeared him to her all the more.

"Your graces, Ginevra and I have been talking about the letter that was received earlier today from the City of the Winged Men and I feel that it is necessary that we go."

Sirius gave him a severe look and Ginny coughed slightly when she saw the prince nearly quail before that gaze. After a second however he seemed to recover himself.

"You do," Sirius said but it wasn't a question. "And why do you feel that way?"

Before Rhaegar could respond however, Ginny chose to speak up. "Father I have told the prince about the dreams I had a few years ago that spoke to the invitation. Obviously this high priest…Qassian, knows things about me that are important. We'll take some of the dragons but none of the army. That would take too long and I don't wish to make this a long journey. We'll see what they know and if it turns out to be wool fluff than we will apparate back, dragons included."

Sirius was silent for a moment before he turned and looked at Vellaena. A silent conversation passed between the two of them, it was an exchange only those deeply in love would know how to discern and Ginny felt warm as she watched it.

Finally Sirius turned back to them. "Very well."

"Do you think his message has to do with your vision in the House of the Undying Ginevra?" Vellaena asked softly and Rhaegar sent her a quizzical look.

"I do," Ginny said ignoring it. "One vision it seems is about to come to fruition and the other…well let's just say that we need to make sure that one never comes to pass."

"Indeed," Sirius said gruffly. "Then by all means if visiting the Winged Men is the way to go about doing that…than go."

"I must say one final thing before we go inside and enjoy the feast," Vellaena said as Ginny and Rhaegar took steps toward the inner hallway.

"What's that Mother?" Ginny asked.

Vellaena pursed her lips and then released a deep sigh. "I have thought long and hard about this since the letter was received today. And as I have done so, one thing becomes increasingly clear. I must go with you as well."

There was a breath of silence and then three voices spoke in complete astonishment. "What?"

Vellaena glanced up at a speechless Sirius and then surprised Ginny by rolling her eyes. "Oh come now. I have not left this city at all since the day I entered it and this is an opportunity that may never come again. The last time an outsider set foot in the City of the Winged Men it was in the days of Old Valyria. It was one of the few cities to survive the Doom nearly completely unscathed and not a soul has set foot over the threshold since. There is also the city of Carcosa located on the southeastern shore of the Hidden Sea across from it. It is said to be ruled by a sorcerer lord who is the 69th yellow emperor of Yi Ti."

Rhaegar looked somewhat bewildered. "I've heard that name before but I don't know its origins. What is it?"

"How quickly you Westerosi forget," Vellaena said with a sigh. "We in Qarth and the far east know the story well. Yi Ti is a nation and region east of Qarth and the Bone Mountains and bordered by the Jade Sea. The YiTish civilization is known as the Golden Empire of Yi Ti which according to legend, preceded the Empire of the Dawn. The very civilization of Essos was born there. It was known as the land of a thousand gods and a hundred princes. It is a civilization that was old when Valyria and Ghis were young. Carcosa and the City of the Winged Men is the very tip of its empire."

Rhaegar looked thoughtful. "Now that I am thinking it, I recall a story about one of my ancestors traveling there, Lord Corlys Velaryon, also known as the Sea Snake. It was said that he brought back enough rare and valuable spices that made the Velaryons the richest family in Westeros."

"Indeed," Vellaena said and when she spoke again, there was a fire in her golden eyes that Ginny had never seen before. "It is a place of legend, a place few have ever travelled."

"And what of this Sorcerer Lord?" Sirius asked. "I have never heard of such a man. The thought of another being having magic in this land that I don't know about is somewhat unnerving."

Vellaena appeared to be taking a deep breath and steeling herself to deliver a speech that she did not altogether wish to.

Ginny narrowed her eyes at the brunette. "Are you alright Mother?"

"Yes, Vellaena said. She turned to Sirius. "You have no cause to fear him my love."

Sirius frowned. "Why not?"

Vellaena straightened then as if she had replaced her spine with a rod of iron. "Because we are related. The Sorcerer Lord of Carcosa is a member of my distant family."

There was a long breath of silence where both Ginny, Sirius and Rhaegar stared at her for a moment. "What?!"

Vellaena held up both hands, no doubt to forestall the flood of questions she knew were coming. "Yes, I am descended through my mother's side to the Yi Ti civilization. She was from there and she and my father met in Carcosa when he was on a trip for his father who was the Spice King of Qarth at the time. They fell in love and he brought her back to Qarth to live with him."

Ginny, Sirius and Rhaegar exchanged long glances. "Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"Because it has been years since I have seen that part of my family," Vellaena explained. "I am the youngest remember? And they were not born for almost a decade after my mother and father married which is why we are all so close in age. She wanted to have as many children possible before it was too late.

Decades upon decades have past since I have seen any member of my mother's family and I thought we had all lost touch as no letters have been sent since my mother left Carcosa. And then…I remembered this."

She reached into the folds of her dress and pulled out a strange looking piece of parchment. At least Ginny thought it was strange. It was completely black but utterly smooth and she frowned at the strange paper.

Her stepmother saw her staring and gave her a small smile. "It's not parchment Ginny. Its called oqer, it's made from a certain type of reed that grows along the rivers in Carcosa. All the writing material that Carcosans use with it is black."

"How long have you had that?" Sirius asked.

"My mother told me not long before she died that it came the day I was born. She didn't give it to me until I had turned eight and ten. My brother received a letter too but he either ignored it or were more interested in the running of my father's spice empire to care about legacies from the past."

Ginny was bursting with questions and her stepmother seemed to notice her impatience for she unfolded the letter and handed it to Sirius. He read silently for a moment and got to a certain part of the page before he raised an eyebrow but kept reading. He was at the middle of the page before the second eyebrow joined the first.

Ginny was all but dancing on her toes with impatience by the time he finished and handed it over to her, almost as if in a daze.

Ginny cast one look at the queen who in turn nodded as if giving her permission before she turned her eyes to the page.

 ** _My Dearest Vellaena  
_**

 ** _You in whom the blood of god emperors resides. Blessed are you and blessed will be those who come from you.  
There will come a time when you will be gathered to your people, the people of your mother in whom is the blessing of the Maiden made of Light.  
_**

 ** _Before this happens however, before the old bonds can be reformed, you will have met six gryphons. Two will come to you…four will come from you.  
_**

 ** _At a time when you feel your greatest happiness is upon you, it will soon be covered…covered in fresh fallen snow. And soon even the greatest happiness will not be enough to quell the coming cold.  
_**

 ** _There are gifts you have, legacies you bear that will aid in the prevention of such a future. Yet you must return to Carcosa to discover them, and you will have need of them cousin. You will.  
_**

 ** _Do not dismiss this letter as mere wool gathering for the ignorance of it will not delay what comes. Be sensible as your mother was. Return to Carcosa, learn your legacy and claim the blood you have.  
_**

 ** _Yours across the years…  
_**

 ** _Calisyn_**

Ginny opened her mouth several times to ask questions but found that words were all but escaping her at the moment. She cocked her head to one side and thought about the most appropriate way to respond when suddenly the prince, who had also been reading over her shoulder, beat her to it.

"What does it mean your grace?" he asked.

Vellaena sighed. "It means I need to return to my distant family and reclaim whatever legacy I have been given."

"Your mother said nothing of this to you when she gave you the letter?" Sirius asked.

The brunette shook her head. "But she died not long after I received it. All she told me was that she had left much behind when she followed my father to Qarth, much that I would not understand and that I would need to see it for myself. Not long after her death my father married me off to a man who was more interested in other men than me and who died before I could give him any children. The rest you know."

Sirius seemed to be wrestling with himself. "My love, this is – "

"It's insane, and crazy and absurd, beyond anything we could have imagined," his wife supplied. "None of my family on my mother's side have reached out to me since my mother left my father and this the only indicator that I have."

"Is this Calisyn even a real person?" Rhaegar asked shrewdly. "He may have heard you are now one of the most powerful women in Essos and has seen this as a change to take advantage of you."

"I had thought of that," Vellaena said. "However upon looking further back in my mother's genealogy, I discovered that there was indeed a Calisyn among the family tree. And he is one of my cousins."

Sirius ran a hand through his hair and Ginny could tell he was trying desperately to process all of this.

"Why now?" he finally asked. "The YiTi empire has remained silent for centuries, why involve themselves in affairs of the greater world at this time?"

Ginny thought back to her dream and shivered a little. "Perhaps they have seen something, they must have if they know about my dream. And it must be serious if they wish to see us. That's it then….we need to go."

"Aye," Vellaena said in a low and hard voice. "I need to see my family and we need to see if these…portents…become omens."

She seemed more driven and determined than Ginny had ever seen her and Sirius must have felt similarly because he paused for a few breaths before answering. "Very well then. When will you leave?"

Ginny exchanged glances with Rhaegar and her stepmother before the latter answered the King. "In two days. We dare not delay any longer. The tone and manner of the letter was polite but there was one of urgency there, I can feel it."

Sirius nodded somberly, "I see. And this dream of yours Ginny? Have you had it since in the last little while?"

The red head shook her head. "No, I haven't had it since before we sailed for Westeros months ago."

Sirius harrumphed again and then nodded.

Rhaegar seemed to decide he was going to take that moment to speak up. "Your graces, Ginevra has explained the manner of her dream to me and it is to that end that I feel it is most urgent that we go. In the past when we Targaryens have had dreams, they are never to be taken with a light hand, especially when they concern great matters such as this. I'm coming to believe that it might have been all Valyrians who were blessed and cursed with dreams. And they may have been dreams that turned into portents and omens."

The Gryphon King and his queen exchanged glances and Ginny swallowed hard. "I am inclined to believe you may be correct Prince Rhaegar. And dream such as this, especially a recurring one…cannot be ignored."

"Indeed," Vellaena said quietly. "And now I must tell you all the other reason for why I must go."

Ginny blinked and shared a look with her adoptive father who looked equally bewildered. "There's more?"

Vellaena chuckled. "Oh yes. You forget sweetling that many people of Qarth not just I were once descended from members of these old empires. As such we do have a similar blood to those from ancient times, weak as it may be. Perhaps that is why I have been having my own dreams lately."

Sirius blinked. "You have been dreaming as well? Why have you not said anything?"

Vellaena sighed. "Because I was not sure how to interpret it as it comprises of one single scene. In it, I am standing cloaked almost in darkness but after a moment of silence there appears in front of me a light streaming downward from some unknown place in the sky. It is as if I am standing in a cave with one hole in the ceiling that is letting an intense bright light through, more concentrated than the sun. And than in the center of that sunlight, there suddenly appears an altar and atop that alter….there is a blade. It looks like nothing more than an ordinary blade…but I feel that it is not. And as I stare at it….the blade suddenly bursts into flames but it doesn't melt. It remains there….burning. And then I awake."

A collective silence gripped the two couples and Ginny barely suppressed a shudder.

"Dreams," Sirius said darkly and he seemed to be looking at her then. "Dreams have power. You are correct my love, you must go. But isn't the way to the empire hidden? I had thought that only one who had been there before could find the way. I don't know anyone with physical memories of the place."

All of a sudden there was a clearing of a throat and all four monarchs whirled about.

Standing a few feet behind them was Orius. He had one of his swords clasped in front of him and he appeared to be suppressing some sort of emotion.

"Orius is everything alright?" Sirius asked.

Instead of answering the question directly, the captain of the guard appeared to be taking a deep breath. "You said you needed someone to guide this party to the empire your grace. But you didn't know anyone who could. But you do. That someone…is me."

"You?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"Me," Orius replied. He seemed to be gathering himself with each word he spoke. "Like the queen, I too am from the YiTi empire. But unlike the queen, I have seen it with my own two eyes. And as you know, only those who have seen the place can guide others there. The role it seems, has fallen to me."

Sirius blinked several times and seemed to do an excellent impression of a beached fish for a moment before he shut his jaws with a snap. "Very well. Then do so."

Ω

Two days later, Ginny found herself standing with Rhaegar in Mereen's enormous courtyard along with her stepmother, Ser Arthur Dayne and a few other of the Creed guards.

Ser Arthur would be coming with them as his duties to the prince were from the king himself but the Creed other than Orius would not be accompanying them.

Sirius wasn't too happy about that but Ginny had insisted that this journey was to be borne of speed and they couldn't bring their entire bodyguard with them.

Orius was the one they trusted most of all and so he would be there to take charge of her step mother should the worst ever come to pass.

They had decided to take two dragons, Septimus being one of them, but as for the other, Vellaena would be riding atop Arcturus and Orius would ride with her.

Ser Arthur would be atop of Septimus with Ginny and Rhaegar.

The Sword of the Morning was not particularly pleased with the insistence Rhaegar taken to going on this journey but he also knew when not to argue.

As for Rhaegar himself, he was more determined than Ginny had ever seen him, more so than the time they had argued about him coming with her against the Dothraki. An urgent and tense hardness had settled into his limbs that made him appear as a man driven. Driven by what she didn't know but she didn't question it. In her blood too there was an urgency awakening. This dream was beginning to feel less and less like a dream and more and more like a portent that must be avoided at all costs.

Even though Essos was scorching hot, she only had to think of that dream where she had been standing in the snowy destroyed court room to shiver.

Off to one side, Sirius and Missandei were standing along with another nursemaid who was holding the third twin. They had all come to say their goodbyes along some of the upper members of the court, Gulian among them.

Ginny was dressed in her riding clothes that were warded against the extreme heats of the desert. The sword of Gryffindor was at her back and she was wearing a pair of bracers similar to what the Creed wore.

Rhaegar was also dressed in dark red riding clothes with a silver sword belted to his waist. Its make was peculiar and Ginny wanted to ask where he had gotten it but there never seemed to be the time, especially with how fast this journey was taking place.

Vellaena was locked in silent conversation with Sirius, the both of them bearing almost grim expressions on their faces. Ginny knew enough not to go near when they bore those looks.

"Are you ready then?" she asked the Prince who was looking over Septimus and the Arcturus with a contemplative look on his face.

Arcturus was the next dragon to hatch after Faebian and of all of the dragons they possessed he was the quietest. Sirius said he had named him for his grandfather back in England because of the similar temperaments they possessed. Arcturus had always been a shrewd man and prone to plans and schemes before he acted. His reptilian namesake was ironically the same way. He very rarely made noises and when he did, it was only if he were angry or trying to get the attention of his fellow dragons.

He was the beast that Vellaena had chosen as hers because he was as calm and patient as she. Orius was standing quietly to one side with his armored arms crossed over his broad chest and a severe look in his eyes. When they had told him of their destination he had grown very still and had said no more about it.

He obviously had some history with the place but whether that history was good or bad, Ginny did not know.

What she did know was that the Captain of the guard was a brilliant tracker and hunter and knew the desert like the back of his hand. He would guide them to the city.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Rhaegar replied. "It isn't every day that you go to a city of legend with beings of legend supposedly living in it. But then I am becoming more and more aware of the fact that legends may be truer than my own reality."

Before Ginny could make sense of this cryptic statement she was directed by the image of Sirius beckoning to her and the prince. "I think we're being summoned."

He saw where shew as gesturing and then nodded and the two strode over to the small party who was standing in a tight circle.

Ginny turned to her adoptive father who looked rather tense. "Yes?"

It was then that she noticed the curious weapon that was at her step mother's back. It was not a sword, but rather a staff, a staff that was made of a curious substance that looked like glass but it was an opaque almost frosty sort of glass that looked as if it had been left out in the ice for a time before being taken in again. It was double edged and on each side the blades were curved and razor sharp, almost as if they were hooks. It was a dangerous weapon and she blinked at the sight of it.

"The journey will take you a week perhaps on dragon back," Sirius said and looked at Orius for clarity who nodded. "It would have taken weeks by horse and you would have had to pass through the desert. Orius has informed me that he is aware of where the oases' exist in the Dothraki Sea where you will be able to find fresh water and provision yourselves. Do not stay in the oases' for longer than you need to. The Dothraki may be gone but there are still other strange forces out there in the wastes that I do not know of."

He glanced at Orius and the Captain cleared his throat than and took over the instructions. "The city itself is on the edge of the Hidden Sea, the northwestern shore and hidden in the Mountains of the Morn, several hundred miles from any known civilization. The citizens made it so for a reason as they distrusted those who came to power after the Doom. But the rest of the empire well….that will have to be seen to be believed."

"Very well then," Vellaena said grimly. "We shall have to be the first in many a long year." She glanced at her step daughter and the prince. "Are you ready then?"

Rhaegar nodded looking particularly grim and Ginny did the same. "All that's needed is to say our goodbyes."

The queen then stepped up to Sirius and pressed what looked like a searing kiss to his lips. It was just long enough that Ginny blushed and looked down at her feet with Rhaegar looking away to the east, a curious half smile suddenly coming to his face.

"Be well," Sirius said to her fiercely when she stepped back. "Return here as swiftly as you are able. And above all else, be careful."

As he said this he placed a gentle hand on her stomach and Ginny was once more reminded of her step mother's progressing pregnancy. She wasn't showing yet, but it wouldn't be long before she was and she worried her bottom lip for a moment.

She would need to see about placing some wards on her to prevent any harm from coming to mother and baby. It also made Vellaena's demand to go to the City seem all the more ominous.

 _What is going to be waiting for us there? What are we going to find?_

Ginny then gave Sirius a big hug to which he wholeheartedly returned and kissed all three of the triplets who babbled happily when they saw her.

And then they strode for the dragons.

Ginny stepped onto the foreleg of Septimus and hopped lightly onto the dragons back before she settled herself between the two large spikes protruding from his scales.

She glanced behind her, watching as Rhaegar did the same. He had ridden on Septimus' back a few times now and every time he climbed the dragon he did it as a man who was accustomed to it.

Now he did it as a man who didn't even have to think.

Ginny turned to watch as Orius mounted Arcturus, the tall silver dragon and then held out a hand to Vellaena as she did the same.

When both Sirius and Ginny had been in Westeros, she had flown the dragon about the city and the surrounding lands, ensuring that peace had been met. As such the queen was no stranger to dragons and how to ride them.

What Ginny hadn't known however was her stepmother's ability with a blade but apparently her father and the Captain had been teaching her a thing or two.

 _Good,_ Ginny thought to herself feeling pleased. _That's a skill that will serve her well Every woman who has access to a sword should know how to use one._

When both parties had settled themselves onto the back of their respective dragons Vellaena sent a look towards Ginny who nodded.

"Fly!" the queen called out in a loud clear voice. "Fly now!"

There was a great susurration as both dragons unfurled their wings and a second later with the use of their powerful legs, launched themselves into the air.

Higher and higher they flew until they were rising above the pyramid and above the city itself. Far down in the streets, people were taking notice and pointing to the skies.

The moment Septimus levelled off, Ginny allowed herself to turn and look back. She could just make out the form of Sirius standing at the base of the Great Pyramid. From such a distance as they had quickly amassed he was beginning to look no larger than an ant on the ground. She could just barely make out the triplets and that was only due to their shocks of red hair.

The red head then glanced directly behind her and almost smiled when she saw the look of sheer panic on the face of Rhaegar's shield.

"Are you well Ser Arthur?" she asked with a laugh over the whistling wind.

"Yes your grace," the knight shouted back. "Although there's a reason we Dayne's have always kept our feet on the ground."

"And why is that Arthur?" Rhaegar shouted from his place in between them.

"Because I am of Starfall your grace! And unlike that star of old, I do not wish to fall to the earth!"

Ginny threw back her head and laughed, the wind catching the sound and carrying it away behind them.

"I think it's safe to say that you will have to become used to being in the air Arthur!" Rhaegar called to his friend. "I am beginning to find that flying is the _only_ way to travel!"

Ginny smiled again and looked towards her step mother's dragon which was angling itself east away from the city.

It was a good day for flying, not a cloud in the sky, the sun baring down on them and a breeze coming from the west that was pushing them onwards.

Hopefully it would continue all the week through and bring them to their destination even faster. The sooner they could find out what was going on in the far east…the better.

Ω

Thankfully the decent weather and the strong breezes continued for the next few days as the small company flew over major cities, coasted between the clouds and soared above all other politics that might have grounded them before.

Ginny had never felt as free as when she was riding Septimus and she could tell that it was having a similar effect on Rhaegar as one night she had awakened to find him sitting next to the dragon while the two of them stared out at the desert. It was both the most humorous and most serious thing she had ever seen.

They had bypassed the last of the cities a few days earlier before setting out into the scorching desert and Ginny was very glad that they had Orius to guide them. The Captain of the Creed knew where every oasis was, every place where they might find water and shelter and every place of refuge.

Ginny was glad of it as she didn't know the desert as much as she would have liked but she kept a close eye on the Captain of the Creed the whole time.

He had been very quiet since he had volunteered to escort them to the city and it almost seemed as if in doing so he had some personal demons to exorcise.

Just what sort of demons those were, Ginny had no idea but she kept an eye on him all the same. He had proven to be a good and loyal friend these last few years and Sirius respected him immensely.

When she had been in Westeros, she had seen some members of the Kingsguard sizing the Creed up as they had walked with her and their eyes had spoken of a tale of confusion, some surprise and perhaps a little awe…but the awe part confused her.

She would need to ask him about it.

Orius had some vague connection both to the YiTi Empire and the City of the Winged Men…and before they landed in that place…she needed to know what it was. It was important.

In the meantime, Ser Arthur seemed to have gotten over his fear of flying and was looking about everything, the clouds, the sky, the sun and the desert below them with wide eyed amazement.

Ginny smiled, knowing he would have a take to tell his sworn brothers upon his return. She had a feeling both he and the prince would never be the same after this trip.

Later that night when the sun had descended behind them into the sea and both dragons were flying as close to each other as they could get, Orius called out to her from over the side of Arcturus.

"Your grace, there is an oasis about two miles from our current pace. Shall we land there for the night?"

How he knew that Ginny had no idea, but she nodded and called back. "So be it Orius. Lead us on!"

Vellaena cast an eye over the side of the dragon at her and the two shared a knowing look. There was a conversation that needed to be had, but Ginny wasn't sure how to broker it.

Up until now she had merely thought of her step mother as the only daughter of the Spice King, a rather pompous individual from Qarth who seemed in part like Cornelius Fudge.

She had never known that she carried this…ancient legacy.

Carcosa…she recalled there being a vague mention of it in the books she had read in Sirius' library when she first arrived in Essos but it was little more than a name drop along with the City of the Winged Men and the rest of Yi Ti. She had never heard it described in such passionate words that her step mother had used on the balcony.

Her connection to the place was obviously deep even if she had never been there before. Yes, they needed to talk.

Little was said as the sun continued its descent and the dragons continued to coast on the evening breeze.

Ginny peered out over the neck of Septimus and then suddenly in the distance she saw it. The tops of tall palm trees of an oasis were appearing and she smiled in relief that they would have some rest this night.

As they drew nearer to it, she was able to make out the form of a decent sized body of water where they would be able to refresh themselves for the time being before setting out once more in the morning.

Septimus seemed to realize what was happening also for he angled his wings into a semi steep dive causing the three riders on his back to lean forward and tighten their grip on his scales.

The two dragons hit the sands with a thump and Ginny gritted her teeth to keep herself from sliding forward too far and waited until the dragon had shuffled himself a bit and then refolded his wings.

The long ride must have stiffened Ser Arthur's legs for when he made to climb off the dragon, his misjudged where he was putting his feet and hit the sands in a near boneless heap.

Rhaegar began suddenly violently coughing and Ginny knew he was trying to hide his laughter at his friend's expense. He was also waiting for feeling to come back to his own legs before he moved.

Ginny waited for a moment and then swung her right leg over the side of Septimus' back and leapt lightly to the ground. She had better luck of it than Ser Arthur, but she still stumbled in the landing.

Striding over to the knight, she helped him to his feet and gave him a grin which he reluctantly returned. "It's all in the timing Ser Arthur. All in the timing."

"Aye your grace," the knight replied. "I think by the time this trip is over I will be completely capable of mounting and dismounting from a dragon."

"Let's hope so," Rhaegar said dryly as he climbed down cautiously from Septimus' back, using the beast's leg as a brace.

Ginny smiled and turned away from the two men to her stepmother and Orius who had landed on the back of Arcturus a few feet away.

The Captain was helping her step mother down from the dragon and Ginny smiled at her as she joined the two of them.

"Have you been to this oasis before Orius?" she asked. "You seem rather familiar with it."

"Once before your grace," the warrior said. "A very long time ago."

He said no more and walked forward towards their dwelling place for the night. Ginny shot the brunette a quizzical look but the queen frowned and shook her head. "He's been acting so strange since he announced that he has been to the City before. I know Orius and the Creed have their secrets but I'm beginning to wonder just how big those secrets are and if some of them are going to be told on this trip."

"I agree," Ginny said. "I think he knows something about the city. Something he's not telling us."

There was no time for further conversation as they were too preoccupied with making camp at that point.

The oasis was somewhat large and consisted of a clear completely circular pool of water surrounded by several tall flowering trees that were in the full fruit bearing season. As the sun had gone down, the sand was now cool to walk on and Ginny wasted no time in talking off her shoes and sinking her feet into the earth.

She let out a sigh of relief and then hurriedly went about gathering stray fragments of wood on the sand and piling them into a pyramid shape so she might light them on fire.

"Here Ginny use these."

The red head looked up to see her betrothed in front of her with an armful of rocks. He knelt down and began placing them in even distances around the pile of twigs she had amassed.

Ginny watched him for a moment. She was a little impressed that the prince wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty and made a note not to underestimate him in the future.

Once Rhaegar finished, he looked out to the desert and then looked up at her with a smile. "It certainly is peaceful out here isn't it?"

Ginny felt the cool night breeze bear down on her for a moment lifting her hair off her shoulders and giving her some relief from the heat of the day. "It is. But I can't help but think that its merely the calm before the storm."

Rhaegar frowned and glanced down at the unlit fire. "I know. I feel as if we are standing on the edge of something, some great and terrible adventure that will alter me permanently."

Ginny pursed her lips at his words and then muttered the incantation to bring about fire. A moment later, the small pile of wood burst into flames and she beckoned to her stepmother who was conversing quietly with Orius to come over.

"Sit down Arthur," Rhaegar said beckoning to the knight who was looking the oasis over with a practiced eye.

"Your pardon your grace but I have been sitting for far too long and I would like to stretch my legs," the knight replied amiably. "I believe we also have a long ride tomorrow. The longer I can stand, the better I will feel."

With this said he continued on his stroll looking over the oasis. Ginny sent a quizzical look at Rhaegar who shrugged in turn. "Arthur likes to brood sometimes.

I know this journey has been a strange one for him."

"Strange for who?" Vellaena asked as she came over and carefully seated herself by the fire.

"Nothing mother," Ginny said quickly. "We were just talking about all the strangeness that has preceded this trip."

"I know," the brunette replied. "I don't like all the mystery either but we are going for a reason and the closer we get to the Hidden Sea, the more I feel this…urgency."

"I'm glad I'm not the only one," Ginny muttered. "Ever since we got that message, I've been feeling on edge almost all the time. It's as if there's this itch under my skin that I desperately need to scratch but can't."

Rhaegar smiled a bit at the metaphor. "I just wish we knew more about the place we're going to. As a child I've heard or read very little about the City of the Winged Men, Carcosa or the Yi Ti Empire as a whole. Why is it so secretive and mysterious?"

"There are a few answers to that your grace."

All three royals flinched at the sudden appearance of Orius who had been securing some of the saddle bags on the dragons.

For a moment the captain stood staring into the fire with his arms folded across his chest before he followed up his vague statement. "The Yi Ti civilization is very jealous of their written word and therefore no manuscripts or literature have ever passed the boundaries of the Hidden Sea. In a way I believe it because there is a massive amount of pride in their race, being the oldest civilization in the known world. Knowledge is power and the more who know details of their long standing civilisation, the more power those beings will have."

He sighed and leaned against one of the nearby palm trees as if he were gearing himself up for what he had to say.

"When your grace said that it is the land of a thousand gods and a hundred princes, you were correct," he said to Vellaena. "However it is much more than that. It is a land ruled by the God-Emperor and only he may wear the cloths of gold along with the green pearls and jade that tradition affords him. Although it was once a position of great power, now power has been divided to the one hundred princes throughout the realm."

Ginny glanced at Rhaegar and noted that he was soaking up every word. She couldn't really blame him. Orius had a way of speaking that made one sit up and pay attention.

"And this God Emperor Orius," she asked. "Are there any sort of…magical powers he possesses?"

"No your grace," the warrior said. "It is merely a long standing title which precedes from the Empire of the Dawn, the earliest known civilization."

"What does the land itself look like?" Rhaegar asked. "I know we can't visit the entirety of the empire as we don't have time but what is it like?"

Orius was silent for a moment before he answered. "It is a land of lush jungles and thick green farmlands. There are rumors that great snakes roam these jungles and they are filled with exotic flowers and fruits. Monkeys swing from the trees and elephant roam freely. The religion of the land itself stems from two primary dieties. The Lion of Night and the Maiden made of Light, of whom was born the first emperor. There are legends that this emperor amassed one hundred wives and reigned for ten thousand before ascending to the stars to join those who had gone before him."

At the mention of the stars, Ginny chose that moment to look up at the sky and she inhaled sharply at the scene before her. The desert was much cooler now but the sight of the dark blue deepness above them scattered any cold she might be feeling. Strewn across the deepness with random alignment it seemed were thousands upon thousands of diamonds. How they had all come out so fast she didn't know but she might have been content to look at them forever.

 _Why is it that one can see the stars so much more clearly out here in the wilderness than in the cities?_

"Do you know any stories of the empire Orius?" she asked and again the warrior hesitated before nodding. "I do your grace."

"Would you tell one to us? The more I hear about this empire, the more curious I become."

The Captain nodded slowly. "Very well. Dominion of the empire after the death of this first emperor passed to his son, otherwise known as the Pearl Emperor which was then followed by the Jade and the Tourmaline Emperor and more rulers who's titles were given for individual stones."

"I am familiar with this story," Vellaena said. "The reigns of each emperor slowly began to grow shorter and shorter as the corruption and greed of mankind grew."

"Ah, that is what they said your grace," Orius said and there was a note of sadness in his voice. "But it is not entirely true."

Vellaena frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The emperors, so convinced of their own might began to dabble in powers too great for them, powers of the very earth itself. Man was not meant to control nature and as it is known as the land of thousand gods, one of the emperors, the Topaz Emperor accidently summoned a being of great power, but also great evil."

"What was this being?" Ginny asked.

"His name was Halfazar," Orius said quietly. "No one knew which realm or from which plain he had been summoned but he was a being of corruption. He corrupted the hearts and minds of men to terrible ends, and finally the Opal emperor realized with horror, that being called Halfazar had attached itself to his son, making him unfit as a ruler and as a man of integrity. He tried for many years before his death to exercise the being from him, but could find no way to rid his son of the curse.

"As he grew in years, the Opal Emperor began to be afraid that the being that had attached itself to his son would affect the empire in strange and terrifying ways and so before his death, he banished his son to the far reaches of Essos, into the jungles where he hoped he would never harm anyone. But his hope was in vain."

This time, Ginny didn't have to look to her mother or the prince to find out what their reactions were. She herself was hanging on every word.

"Upon his death, the kings older daughter took the throne and proclaimed herself the Amethyst Empress. However her reign had not been old before her brother returned from the jungles with an army and under the cover of night, he slipped into the royal palace and slew her in her bed. The following day, he usurped the throne. This later became known as the Blood Betrayal."

As he was telling the story, Orius' voice had gotten lower and lower until he was almost whispering, causing Ginny, Rhaegar, Vellaena and even Arthur who had returned from walking the perimeter of the oasis, to lean forward so that they might not miss a word of this strange story.

"Under the influence of Halfazar, the son named himself the Bloodstone Emperor and what followed was a reign of terror the like of which the empire had never seen before. He practiced dark magical arts and necromancy, opening the known world up to other monsters like Halfazar which blighted the crops and the animals, polluted the water courses and brought terrible diseases. He cast down the gods of the Empire and worshipped a black stone which had fallen from the heavens. Some speculate that it was this betrayal that led to what the Westerosi call the Long Night as it caused the Maiden Made of Light to despair and turn her face from mankind. It was seen as a punishment from the Lion of Night for the wickedness of the emperor, his followers and all of mankind. And in the chaos that followed this….the Empire of the Dawn collapsed."

His voice almost seemed to break on the last word and Ginny exchanged a look with Rhaegar who looked very confused. This story seemed a personal one to the captain of the guard and Ginny decided to find out why he had been acting so strange since he had volunteered to lead them to the City of the Winged Men.

"Orius," she began slowly casting a look at her mother. "You've told us that you have been to the old empire before but you relayed this story in the voice of one who has more than familiarity with it. Why is that?"

The captain of the guard hesitated for a very long and heavy moment in which Ginny suddenly felt uncomfortable. She had a feeling she was about to learn something important, something she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

She was just about to open her mouth and say _never mind,_ when Orius spoke again.

"Because I was there your grace…I was there when the empire fell."

An incredulous silence followed these words and was only punctuated by a breath of wind. Ginny felt her own eyes grow wide and from across the fire saw her step mother turn pale.

The red head searched for words but found that even her own tongue was failing her and the only form of communication she was able to utter in that moment was the word: "What?"

Orius sighed and then did something truly unexpected. He reached for the hood that always covered his head…and pulled it down.

Orius had lowered his head so he was looking at the ground when he removed his hood but the moment he did so, he looked back up at them and she gasped in shock.

There were strange….markings….no not markings…stripes almost…all over his face but it appeared like the veins under his skin were showing through. But these…lines in his face were a starkly silver color looking strange against his tan skin. They went in all different directions, extending into his hairline or traveling down his neck to the rest of his body and Ginny wondered absently if the rest of his body was covered in these…lines as well.

And when she looked further, she saw that his eyes were silver too. How she had never been able to see them under the hood baffled her but perhaps it was just the light of the fire and the stars making them stand out.

In other words…he looked otherworldly, like a creature out some strange fairy tale in a world far different from this one.

"Orius," she breathed. "What happened to you? How is this possible? How old are you?"

He gave her a sad smile then. "I am far too old your grace. Far too old indeed and yet I am also cursed as are all my brethren. We are cursed to watch and above all to remember."

"Remember what?" Rhaegar asked. His violet eyes were enormous at this revelation but Ginny was certain that she bore a similar expression.

"Our failings your grace," the man of the Creed said. "We were given the great and glorious task to rid the empire of a steadily growing evil surrounding it…and we failed. The empire fell and for our failings my brothers and I left the ruins which are now the Yi Ti civilization…never to return. We served the Valyrians and then when their empire fell, we went into hiding, believing magic had gone from the world. Until you and King Sirius emerged."

Ginny's mind was whirling. "How is this possible? How is it that you are thousands of years old?"

"You should know your grace," Orius said sadly. "It was magic that granted me this gargantuan existence…and yet all magic comes with a price. And I have been paying it ever since."

Ω

 **While I love Game of Thrones, I have to say I am far more interested in Essos than I am Westeros. And the fact that there are so many ancient civilizations there is one that makes me so excited because I want to explore them. The City of the Winged Men holds so much fascination for me because so little is known about it than I can make up my own details. I've gone to the Game of Thrones information websites and all they have stated about the city is its geographical location and that its inhabitants are said to have wings and can fly like eagles. That's not very specific and I am going to hopefully fill some of those details in. I also wanted to flesh out Orius' character some as he is my own creation and his origins I can make up. So his immortality is something that will be explained in greater detail, along with Vellaena's legacy, in the next chapter when we reach the City and discover for what reason they have been called. After their trip to the City, the story is most definitely going to pick up. I hope you all enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review!**


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